


Counting Stars

by Eredeti



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, I change things, Oops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-05-06 08:26:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 63,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5409914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eredeti/pseuds/Eredeti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Orion Asher has spent the past three years in lock up trying to forget about her past. But when she's sent down to Earth, that's all anyone seems to care about. Her name, her crime, she locks it all away as the other delinquents fight for their lives on the ground. Until her bravery backfires, and Orion discovers the future can hold a past of its own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Long Way Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Orion.  
> Orion meets the 100.  
> The 100 sorta meet Orion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took longer than expected (mostly my fault but also school). I wasn't going to write but, Z's a pain that has my phone number and sees me pretty much every day. She's also the reason this is no longer a Bellamy fic. I hope you like the story and Orion, and that I don't just end up rewriting this show (even though it's pretty cool).
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers (Can I still use this even though it's not Supernatural?) (I'm gonna keep it)  
> -Eri

The screams were what woke her first.  Her blue eyes shot open and she jolted upright, off the bed, and stuck her hand under the mattress.  Cool metal pressed between her shoulder blades and the girl froze.  

“Whatever it is drop it.” A deep voice growled behind her. The girl gritted her teeth as she stretched her fingers in search of her makeshift weapon.  At the sound of electricity buzzing, she retracted her arm and she was yanked to her feet by her inky hair.

The guard turned her to face him as another lifted the mattress and pulled out a sharpened spoon. “Really? I thought better of you, Orion Asher.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not eighteen.”

The guard gave her a sympathetic look and released her hair, instead lightly tugging on her lone blonde streak. “Today’s your lucky day. Early release, good behavior and all that.”

Her eyes widened. “But that doesn’t-”

The second guard placed a metal band on her wrist and the girl began to panic.

“Ry, it’s not what you think. I promise.”

“So what’s _really_ going on?”

The guard nodded his head down the hall, urging the girl to follow. She sighed and blew the hair out of her eyes before walking out of her cell.

“They’re sending you and ninety-nine other delinquents to the ground.  You’re expendable.” He leaned in to whisper as bystanders passed.

“How can they do that to us? I never even got my review. We don’t know what’s down there!” She raised her hands in exasperation.

The guard turned to her and pushed her hair out of her face gently. “I know, Ry, but… It’s better than floating. There’s a chance you’ll live down there.”

She raised an eyebrow. “How slim?”

He sighed and led her down the hall to an airlock, the other side full of teenagers.  She looked nervously to the guard, who gently gripped her by her shoulders.

“You’re going to be fine. I know you.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, see you in Hell, Graco.” She walked to the airlock before stopping at the door and turning back to the guard. She gave him a sarcastic salute before disappearing into the mob of delinquents.  

She picked a seat at random and kept her head down.  Soon enough the dropship filled with teenagers and noise, and the floor rumbled as the thrusters signalled their launch.

The dark-haired girl stayed lost in her thoughts until the vessel shook furiously.  Cries of confusion echoed off the metal, only to be answered by the Chancellor’s son.

“It’s just the atmosphere. We’re fine.”

The girl found herself laughing. “Yeah, until we crash into the ground, which, by my count, will happen in T minus ten.” The others turned to her warily and she returned her attention to her lap. “Much better than floating,” She mumbled.

The dropship glowed in a bright blue light as a video of the Chancellor appeared to explain their situation and insults were shouted to Wells.

She looked up to see a long-haired boy grinning at her from his seat across the aisle.  He leaned forward and grabbed onto her blonde streak before unbuckling his seatbelt.  Her eyes widened and her hands latched onto his wrist.

“Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?”

“No, Blue Eyes, I’m just trying to have some fun.” He smiled and wrapped her hair around his finger, his suspended body floating closer. She pressed herself into the back of her seat and he laughed. She rolled her eyes and he stared intently at her. “Who the hell are you?”

She grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know, Spacewalker?”

“That’s not fair! You know who I am!” Orion smiled and shrugged.  The boy let go of her hair and floated toward the wall. “Alright, fine, Mystery Girl, you were boring anyway.”

He kicked himself off the wall, his legs flipping over his head, and floated towards Wells and a blonde girl.  

Orion laughed, but she immediately sobered when the dropship shook violently and Finn and two other floaters flew into the metal walls. Screams filled the room as panic overtook the teenagers. Orion curled her head into her chest until the shaking calmed and the machinery hissed to a halt.

She lifted her head to see the others gazing around at each other before getting out of her seats.  She followed suit and was immediately met by two nerdy-looking boys.

“So how’s that for crashing into the Earth and dying in a fiery explosion?” The taller boy with goggles grinned down at her.

She shook her head and laughed. “I never said anything about dying. Or fiery explosions. But I’d say this ‘landing’ qualifies as crashing. Don’t you think, Jasper? Or would you like some input, Monty?” She grinned as confusion covered their features.

“Who are you?” They asked in unison.

“Seems to be the question of the day.” She laughed before striding over to the blonde, who was examining Finn and two seemingly lifeless bodies. Orion offered her hand to the long-haired boy and pulled him to his feet. “Zero G wasn’t so fun this time, eh, Spacewalker?”

He looked sadly down at the two boys. “Bit bumpier this time, Mystery Girl.”

She looked down at the blonde. "Dead?"  
Clarke nodded and stood up. "Nothing we can do now..."

Shouts from the lower level averted the trio's attention. Clarke darted down, screaming about the dangers of Earth. Orion looked to Finn, whose eyes were trained on the bodies at his feet.

“Finn, it's not your fault.”

He shook his head. “They followed me.”

She smiled sadly. “Well hey, now we can rule out one person for our leader. It's a boring job anyway. Not allowed to have any fun.”

Finn laughed quietly and descended to investigate the ongoing commotion, gently tugging Orion’s arm.

A mob had formed in front of the door, a man dressed as a guard at the front. Clarke was shouting at him and a dark-haired girl. Orion stiffened at the sight of the man, and quickly wandered through the crowd to distance herself from him.  She found herself near the nerdy boys from before and they looked to her in excitement.

“Are you going to tell us who you are?" The Asian boy looked to her.

The corners of her lips turned up. "You're smart boys, figure it out."

Before either boy could reply, the dropship was suddenly flooded with light and air. The delinquents stood in shock before rushing out into the strange new environment. Orion laughed and ambled towards the door. She kept her head down as she neared the guard, but a hand gripped her arm. She looked up to meet the man's brown eyes, which stared intently at her face. With his other hand he toyed with a strand of blonde.

She blushed and cleared her throat. "Can I help you?" She mentally kicked herself for how timid her voice sounded.

He simply stared blankly at her as she shifted uncomfortably.

"I...you..." He mumbled.

"Bellamy!" A female voice snapped the 'guard' back to reality.

"Coming O." He called back. He looked hesitantly at the girl in front of him before dropping her arm and walking towards the direction of the voice.

“What the hell was that about?” Finn appeared at her side, and the girl jumped. He laughed and she looked to the ground.

She shrugged. “He's not a guard.”

“Ooh smart. Now are you the brooding or know-it-all type? I'm thinking brooding. You're too quiet. And you're awful at jokes.” He grinned at her and she chuckled.

“You can blame my lack of friends.” She leaned against the wall and stared out at the frolicking teenagers.

“No one knows you. How does that even happen on the Ark?” She shrugged and he sighed in annoyance. “I at least need a name so I'm not calling you Mystery Girl or Blue Eyes forever. Or would you prefer that?”

She laughed and nodded to the sky. “Friends up there-”

“Thought you didn't have friends.”

“-called me Ry, but your nicknames work too.”

“Come on, mystery girl, that’s all I get? A nickname?”

She grinned. “Better than nothing. You'll have to work for the rest.” She stepped off the metal platform, landing in the foliage, and began walking aimlessly.

Finn followed her, playfully bumping into her side. “So, what’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean, why were you arrested?”

“Finn, I won't even tell you my name.”

“Why do you have to be so mysterious, Ry? Was it really that bad?”

“You're missing the point of _Mystery_ Girl.”

“Please.”

“I'm an open book, Finn, once you learn how to read me.”

He stopped, staring at her and nodding approvingly. “I like you, Mystery Girl.” She blushed and looked down to the ground. Finn whooped, “Yes! She's not a robot! She showed emotion!” She laughed as the boy ran around the camp, weaving between trees and other delinquents.

She shook her head and trailed after him towards the dropship. A fight had broken out between Wells and three other guys.  The ringleader, who everyone called Murphy, seemed to be patronizing the Chancellor's son. She watched Finn scale the metal walls as the fight escalated.  Orion rolled her eyes and pushed through the crowd.

She placed herself in between the boys. "Okay, dumbasses, we get it, you have too much testosterone."

Murphy glared at her. "Get out of the way. Wouldn't want to hurt a pretty girl like you."

"Don't test me."

Murphy growled and the two other boys grabbed her arms and dragged her into the crowd. He turned back to Wells, first raised, but before he could land a punch, Finn jumped off the dropship, landing between them.

"Come on, Murphy, only assholes don't fight fair." The bully backed off and Finn turned to the boys holding Orion hostage. "Let the girl go."

They obeyed and Orion spat in their direction. Finn quickly placed his arm around her shoulders and steered her away from the criminals.

"Hey Spacewalker. Save me next." Octavia Blake, the girl who hid under the floor for sixteen years, smiled flirtily at Finn.

"No thanks, I'll stick to saving this princess."

Octavia frowned and Orion rolled her eyes. "I'm not a princess. And I don't need saving."

She shrugged his arm off as Clarke approached.

"We need to get to Mount Weather."

"And who put you in charge?" Orion shrunk behind Finn as the raven-haired man approached.

“If we don't go now, we’re just going to get hungrier and the 20-mile trip will just get harder.” Clarke put her hands on her hips and stared defiantly up at the older man.

“We can take care of ourselves. We don't need the damn Ark.”

“We need supplies.”

Orion rolled her eyes. “Tell you what, I'll go to the damn mountain.”

Bellamy’s eyes bored into her defiant blue ones as he tried to remember where he last saw them.

He set his jaw. “No. I need to keep an eye on you.”

“They've been all over me since we got here. Might have to start charging you.” She tucked the blonde hairs behind her ear. “I'm going.”

“I said-”

“You said ‘whatever the hell we want’ and _I_ want to go to the mountain and not be bossed around.”

His shoulders loosened and he stepped out of her way. “Who are you?”

She gave him a wry grin as she brushed past him. “Whatever the hell I want to be. Now, Bellwether, try not to get them _all_ killed before we get back.”

A group had formed around the two, watching as tension filled the air, and they parted for the blue-eyed girl.  

Clarke looked warily at the girl and cleared her throat. “Okay, but we’ll need more people… We can’t carry that much between the two of us.”

Finn hooked his arm back around the dark-haired girl’s shoulders. “Count me in.”

Orion huffed. “Okay, Spacewalker, but you’re not exactly Superman.”

Finn sighed, turning away from her, and grabbed two lanky boys by the backs of their collars.  Jasper and Monty turned around in confusion.

“Got two more. Can we go now?”

“Not without me.” Octavia smiled sweetly and leaned on Finn. “You still need to save me, Spacewalker.”

Finn smiled down at her, and Bellamy pulled his sister away, stern words of warning falling from his lips.

The rest of the group walked towards the mountain, Clarke and Orion in the lead.  Octavia soon bounded over.

“Just so you know, Finn’s mine.”

Orion laughed. “Just so you know, I don’t think it’s your decision.”

Octavia glared at her and dropped back to Finn’s side.  Orion glanced back, earning a smile from Finn, before hurriedly turning her attention back to the impending mountain.  She was soon flanked by the two other boys.

“So, why so secretive?” Jasper leaned his elbow on her shoulder.

She shrugged, a playful grin spreading across her face. “I told you to figure it out.”

“But you told Finn! And he won’t even tell us!” Monty stomped on the ground.

Orion looked curiously to Finn, who was too caught up in Octavia, before turning back to the nerds. “I expect more from you.”

Up ahead, Clarke crouched to the ground and motioned for the others to follow silently.

“Look! A deer!” The blonde excitedly whispered.  Finn attempted to creep forward, startling the deer.

It turned towards them, revealing a second deformed head, and the teenagers jumped back, except for Orion, who sat in awe.

“It’s incredible…” She mumbled.

Finn gave her a strange look. “It’s...damaged.”

“It’s _different_ and it’s surviving despite that. That makes it beautiful.” The two stared at each other for a few moments before the others decided to continue on their search to the mountain.

Orion cleared her throat, standing up, and made her way back to the front with Clarke. Finn ran his hands through his hair and followed the group reluctantly.

“Come on… Just tell us and we’ll leave you alone forever.” Monty whined and tugged on Orion’s blonde streak.

“As tempting as that sounds, no.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because...if I tell you, you’ll never look at me the same again.” She shook her head and walked faster, her eyes trained on her feet.

“Not game.” Jasper whispered and leaned into Monty’s side.

The group soon reached a river, eliciting shouts of excitement from the delinquents.  Clarke and Orion looked to each other.

“There’s not supposed to be a river here…” They said in unison.

Orion bit her lip and looked around in confusion. “Umm… Maybe we got off course? Let me see your map.” Clarke pulled the paper from her pocket and the two searched the map anxiously.

Their studies were interrupted by the excited shouts of the boys, and the two looked up to see a half-naked Octavia jump into the water.

“Octavia! You can’t do that! It could be dangerous!” Clarke rushed forward to see the girl laughing merrily in the water, the others visibly relaxing.

“Come on in, guys! It’s fine!” Octavia giggled as she splashed around.  

The boys shrugged and began to take off their shoes. Finn turned back to Orion, who leaned against a tree with disinterest.

He walked over to her with a grin on his face. “Why are you over here by yourself?”

“We should be getting to Mount Weather, that’s the whole point of this, right?”

“Do you always have that stick up your ass?”

The corner of her mouth twitched up. “No, I think they put it there when they locked me up for three years, and now it’s just too far in to remove it.”

He smiled. “Come for a swim.”

“Do you really want me to take my clothes off that bad?”

“Actually, I’d prefer to be the one taking them off, but I’ll take what I can get.” Finn grinned at Orion as pink dusted her cheeks. “I’m kidding, maybe, you look cute when you blush.”

She opened her mouth to retort when a scream cut her off.

“There’s something in the water!” Jasper shouted as he paced along the water’s edge.

Orion and Finn raced back to see Octavia being dragged through the water.

“You hit sharks on the nose right?” Monty filled with panic as Octavia plummeted below the surface.

“We don’t know _what_ this thing is. We need to distract it and hope it lets her go.” Orion explained as she hurriedly picked up rocks. She chucked them blindly into the water, aiming everywhere except for the flailing girl.

The others followed suit and the mystery creature soon let go, leaving Octavia to flounder in the deep water. Orion raced in after, but Octavia’s flailing arms quickly dragged them both under. Jasper and Finn followed and grabbed the two girls, pulling them safely to shore. Clarke focused on treating Octavia as Finn trained a concerned gaze on the mysterious girl.

“I’m fine.” Orion croaked as her lungs finally cleared. Finn shook his head and wrapped his arm around her back, supporting her as he pulled her to her feet.

“We’ll stay here for the night and figure out how to cross the river in the morning.” He waited for Clarke to nod before helping Orion to sit underneath a tree.  Jasper soon followed with Octavia, while Monty and Clarke checked the water for any sign of the creature.

Orion turned to the long-haired boy. “Finn, I’m fine, I promise.”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

She shrugged and Finn tugged at his hair in frustration. “You weren’t. Were you trying to be a hero or something?”

She frowned at him. “Lay off, alright. Octavia’s important to someone I used to be close with. Why do you care anyway?”

He looked to the ground. “We’ve already lost two…”

She nodded and a moment of silence passed between the two. Gently, she nudged his foot with hers, causing him to look up at her.

“Why didn’t you tell them?”

Finn stared at her in confusion before his eyes lit up with realization and he chuckled. “Well, I don’t even know if ‘Ry’ is even close to your real name. And, I didn’t want to betray your trust the day I met you. You’re kinda scary.” She snorted and Finn laughed before continuing. “Besides, I like Mystery Girl.”

She shook her head as she laughed softly.  He stared at her and reached out to her blonde hairs again.  He twisted the strands between his fingers, lost in his thoughts. “It didn’t wash out…”

“Well I sure as hell hope not. That means there really _is_ something weird with the water.” Finn looked to her in confusion and she rolled her eyes. “I was born with it, genius.”

“Damn, you’re the know-it-all type, aren’t you? I bet Jasper you were more brooding.” She nudged him and broke out into a grin as Finn laughed.  

Orion leaned against the tree as the sky darkened to night and the forest around them began to glow a blue-green light. She stared around her in awe. “Earth is...beautiful.”

“You almost died.”

She shrugged and leaned her head back against the tree, closing her eyes. “It balances out.”

“Yeah, the monsters just get cancelled out by all the pretty girls down here.” She opened one eye to see him smirking at her.

“Oh, lucky you, I can only find annoying guys around here.” She laughed as Finn nudged her.  Her eyes drifted closed again and her voice fell just below a whisper. “Thanks for saving me, Spacewalker.”

“And you said you didn’t need saving,” he grumbled playfully, but he received no response from the sleeping girl beside him.


	2. Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "dramatic af" -ZvezdaMoya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very tired and still in pain and I have no idea how much this chapter makes sense, but I hope you enjoy it. Now I'm gonna sleep.
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers  
> -Eri

Orion awoke to sunlight in her eyes; she squinted and sat up, looking around her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She looked down and jumped to her feet when she saw Finn’s sleeping form a few inches away from her.

She shook her head and walked to the river’s edge, staring at the other side. She looked around her curiously, eyes landing on a tree branch hanging out over the murky water.  She walked out into the water, reaching for a vine hanging off of it.  She tugged, testing its strength, and noted it wouldn’t hold the weight of an average person.

A ruffling of leaves snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to look at the trees surrounding her.  She cautiously walked out of the water, towards the trees near her sleeping friends. She picked up a rock and peered into the forest.

“Hey, whatcha doin’?” A voice yawned behind her.

The girl spun on her heel, fist gripping the stone and raised above her head. Jasper jumped back, eyes wide and hands raised in surrender.

She lowered her arm and let out the breath she had been holding. “Jesus, Jas, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Ditto.”

She shook her head and threw the rock into the lake before walking back to the tree. “Come here, I need your help with something.”

The lanky boy followed her, looking at the tree in confusion. “So...what are we doing exactly?”

She grabbed onto the tree, and experimentally stuck her foot in a crack. Her hands wrapped around branches and she cautiously lifted her body higher. She continued her method until her chest was level with the branch over the water.

"What the hell are you doing! Get down! You're going to hurt yourself...shit what do I call you when you don't have a name?" Jasper mumbled as he stared up at the girl.

"You should've really figured that out by now... MG works." She mumbled absentmindedly as she crawled along the branch towards the vine. "Now, go see if you can find any more of these."

Jasper shook his head and wandered around the area, picking up any sort of stringy material he could find. He came back with both hands full to find the girl perched above the vine.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Throw them up and go get more."

He tossed the materials so they draped over the branch, and the girl quickly set to work tying them to the branch.

Jasper stared up at her. "What is that supposed to accomplish?"

She looked up at him, hands frozen over her work. "We need to cross the river. The vine's far enough out for us to swing over, but it can't hold our weight, so I'm reinforcing it."

"You're a genius, MG." His face filled with awe for the girl before he trailed off in search of more supplies.

They continued their routines until Orion's branch was covered in vines and she told him to start twisting them together.

Jasper's hands moved awkwardly and he looked up at the girl in thought. "So, MG, why won't you tell us your name? I understand wanting to keep your crime secret but your name..."

She bit her lip and looked down at him warily. "Let's just say some of you know about my life on the Ark, you just haven't connected the dots yet. And my name is a big ass hint."

He nodded. "Can I at least have the first letter?"

She grinned wryly. "O."

"Did someone call me?" Octavia stumbled from the trees and looked at the two in confusion. "What the hell?"

"We have a genius in our midst!" Jasper beamed as the others emerged from the trees. "Monty! I know what her name starts with! O!"

Orion laughed as Monty furrowed his brow in confusion. "The only girl I know with an O is Octavia." He looked up to the girl in the tree. "Are you lying?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "That's for me to know and you to find out. Now, someone needs to test this."

Finn grinned up at her and grabbed onto the rope. He pulled himself up with ease and kicked his legs, the vine swinging him slightly. Orion watched her make-shift rope intently, watching for any signs of breaking. Finn let go, falling back down to the ground with a soft thud. The rope remained in tact and Orion cheered before jumping off the branch and tackling Jasper into a hug.

"We did it!" She grinned at him and let him go as Monty clapped his blushing friend on the back.

Clarke looked at the rope curiously. "Okay, so it works, but what do we use it for?"

"Hanging ourselves." Orion rolled her eyes as the others stared at her in horror. "Jesus, it's not rocket science, we use it to cross the river."

Octavia and Finn stared at them as if they grew two heads. While Monty's face lit up in understanding. "We swing until we have enough momentum and let go once it reaches the apogee."

"The highest point of the arch." Orion explained as the others' confusion deepened.

Finn looked at her in appreciation. "You're incredible." He grinned when she looked down to the ground to hide her pink cheeks. He cleared his throat. "Okay, so me first?"

The others nodded and he pulled on the rope a few times, receiving teasing shouts from Clarke and Octavia. Jasper approached him.

"Can I do it?" Finn looked at him curiously and followed the nerdy boy's gaze to Octavia. He nodded and handed the rope to him.

Jasper took a shaky breath before sprinting forward, allowing the rope to swing him over the river. He let go and clumsily landed on the other side. The others waited in anticipation before he stood up triumphantly and they let out cheers of excitement.

Their victory was cut short when a wooden pole plunged into Jasper's chest, pinning him to the tree behind him. The others screamed and dropped to the ground, scanning the trees behind them.

"We aren't alone." Clarke gasped.

They stayed like that, staring at Jasper's lifeless body, until they detected no signs of movement behind them.

"He isn't moving...but there's a chance he survived. From that distance it couldn't have gone all the way through, and it missed his vitals. We need to get him help." Orion mumbled, her eyes glued to the boy across the water. Jasper emitted a low groan and she let out a sigh of relief.

The others nodded and the group ran back to camp. Once there, they raced to Bellamy.

"Where's the food?"

"Jasper...got speared... There's others here." Clarke huffed as she tried to catch her breath.

He stiffened. "And?"

"We need your help to save him." Monty spoke up, worry painting his face.

"Why me?"

"These things can throw a spear meters away with pinpoint accuracy. You have a gun."

Bell shook his head. "No."

"What?"

"He's a lost cause."

Orion glared at him. "He's our friend. And we can't know he's not alive.”

"There's nothing we can do."

"We have to try!"

"Listen-"

"No, you listen Blake. If you don't help us, I'll take the gun and go find him myself. It's my fault he's out there, and I'll be damned if I don't get him back.”

The two stared at each other, neither bending to the other for what seemed like hours. A scream sounded from deep within the forest.

Orion pointed towards it. “Does that sound like a lost cause to you?”

Bellamy looked down at the weapon before nodding. "Okay, I'll go. He's one of us."

Orion nodded to him, and Wells ran up, much to Clarke's annoyance.

"Let me come."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "No."

"Clarke, I'm not letting you go out there alone with dangerous spear-throwers."

Clarke growled, but Orion stuck her arm in front of the blonde, shaking her head. She turned to the chancellor’s son. “Ever shot a gun before?” Wells nodded. “Okay, you're in. Octavia’s out.”

“What!”

“Your leg needs to heal.”

Clarke turned to Monty. “You should stay and help her.”

“But Jasper’s my best friend!”

Orion looked at him sympathetically. “And that could get in the way in a situation like this.”

Monty frowned and wrapped his arm around a scowling Octavia in support, and the two reluctantly entered the dropship.

The group readied themselves for their journey, acquiring makeshift weapons for the strange new enemy, when Murphy joined them.

“Looks like a party, where we heading?”

“None of your business.” Orion glared at him.

“Well now I'm _really_ curious.” He eyed their weapons. “I’m pretty handy with a knife, you know.”

“Yeah, Graco told me all about your arrest.”

“That's none of your business.” He snarled.

“And this is none of yours.”

“Fine. I'll just follow you to wherever you guys are going.”

“Like hell-” Orion took a step towards him and Finn grabbed her shoulder.

“He's not worth it. I'm sure he's of some use.” Orion nodded and Finn released his hold.

The group set out to the river, spreading out to avoid as much conflict between each other as possible. They arrived at the bank to find Jasper was gone, a small blood-stained patch of dirt marking he had ever been there.

Clarke held her arm in front of the new additions to the group. “Careful they only attacked when we crossed the river.”

Orion shook her head and marched into the river, the water splashing around her.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“They would’ve dragged him. There should be a trail.”

“The last person that crossed the river got speared! Get back here!”

The dark-haired girl chuckled. “Good. Maybe they'll take me to him.”

“And the creature that attacked Octavia?”

Orion ignored the blonde and stood at the water’s edge, her eyes following what she could see of the blood trail. She took a step forward when Finn caught her elbow.

“It's not safe here. Let's go back.”

Orion nodded and walked with him back to the others.

“They took him upstream. I say we fan out and see if we can find any other clues.”

Bellamy shook his head. “Pretty sure they don't want us near the mountain.”

“The river has to start somewhere.”  She called over her shoulder as she walked opposite the current.

The others followed, spreading throughout the forest, eyes on the trees. Finn found a blood smear, and they followed it towards the direction of camp. They entered a clearing with a single tree in the center.

A moan erupted from it and their eyes trained on the boy strung up by vines.

“They crucified him.” Orion stared up at him.

“They're using him as live bait.” Clarke scowled and rushed forward to aid the boy. A trap in the floor of the clearing opened up and swallowed the blonde. Bellamy quickly latched his hand onto her arm. Orion scanned the area and warily stepped beside the trap, climbing up the tree to free the boy.

“Hey, Igor, I’m gonna get you out of this.” She murmured as she pulled a knife from her pocket and sawed at the binding around his wrist.

As soon as Clarke was pulled to safety, a panther jumped out of the underbrush. Bellamy fumbled with his gun, dropping it to the ground. Wells dove for the weapon and fired blindly in the direction of the beast until the click of an empty chamber filled the air.

“I'm not seeing any movement.” Orion called from her perch in the tree. “Get ready for Jasper.” She returned to sawing at the rope as Finn and Murphy helped him down from the tree.

The group carried their friend back to camp, eyes scanning for any other threats. Orion dropped back so she walked next to Bellamy.

“That gun was missing a bullet.”

“What?”

“It holds six. Wells fired five. So, who did you shoot?”

“Tell me your name first.”

She sent him a glare and hastened to the front of the group. Upon arriving back at camp, the brunette hid behind Finn in a desperate attempt to escape the attention of the cheering delinquents that greeted them. She aided Clarke in healing the lanky boy, and Finn soon took the blonde’s place when her and Wells went to find seaweed for a salve.

The two, along with Monty and Octavia, had just locked the hatch against Murphy’s murderous intent when the blue-eyed girl slumped to the floor.

“This is all my fault…” She ran her hands through her hair and Finn sat beside her.

“You know it’s not.”

“I’m the genass that made the damn rope to cross the damn river.”

He leaned in closer and whispered, “Ry, he’s gonna be okay. Clarke will come back with what we need and heal him.”

“But the fog…”

“Clarke can take care of herself.”

She pressed her palms into her eyes. “I know, I’m sorry, it’s just…”

“I know… If he doesn’t get better soon, he’ll drive us all crazy.” Finn grimaced as Jasper let out another pain-filled groan.

Hours later, banging filled the dropship and Clarke’s muffled voice floated through the hatch. They opened the hatch and the blonde hurriedly set about treating the boy.

Orion paced the floor anxiously until Jasper woke up and then silently exited the dropship.  She decided she had caused enough trouble and resolved to stay as far away as possible within the confines of the small camp.  She stood at the back of the crowd when Bellamy and Clarke explained the effects of the acid fog.  She ignored the screams late at night, instantly regretting it when she learned of Wells’ death. Most of her time had been spent in the company of a newfound friend: a sassy redhead named Lucifer who didn’t ask questions about the past.

Orion was walking with her, explaining the basic theories of Darwinism, when she heard Finn call out. She turned around and Luci nudged the brunette, laughing as she strolled towards camp.

“Finn.” She couldn’t help but smile as he jogged over to her.

“Hello, Mystery Girl, it’s been so long I thought I imagined you. I mean a girl like you can’t possibly be real.” She rolled her eyes and turned towards camp, Finn following close at her heels. He laughed and tugged lightly on her streak. “What? Not a fan of pickup lines?”

She shrugged. “Maybe I’m not a fan of you.”

He put his hand over his heart and gasped. “And I thought we had something special.” Orion laughed at him. “Where’ve you been, Mystery Girl?”

“Around.”

He groaned. “Why do you always have to be so _mysterious_ , Ry?”

She laughed but a scream rang out through the forest. Luci ran back to them, panic in her eyes. “Finn! Ry! Please come help! Your asshole friends are threatening my boyfriend!”

Finn turned to the brunette. “You told _her_?”

“Seriously Finn?” She shook her head and ran after the ginger. Finn followed and they found a mob surrounding Clarke and Murphy.

“J.M. John Murphy!” The blonde yelled, her fist clutching a knife.

The accused put his hands up and spoke calmly. “I didn’t kill Wells.”

“You’re the only one with a motive!”

“Listen, Princess, everyone here has a motive. His father locked us all up and sent us down here to die.”

Bellamy approached the group, his features furrowed with confusion. Clarke ran up to him hysterically as the mob grew out of control. The raven-haired man nodded and they pushed Murphy towards a tree. A few boys began to tie a noose from spare rope and they draped it around his neck.

Lucifer and Orion sprinted forward. Finn caught the ginger, but the brunette pushed through the crowd. Orion grabbed onto Bellamy’s forearm and he turned to her.

“Bell, please, there has to be another way. We aren’t the Ark.”

“He’s a murderer.”

“We can’t know that! He may be an ass, but I don’t think he killed someone!”

His face softened. “How do you know?”

“I… I don’t. But I’m pretty sure he’d be the type to brag about it, not hide.”

He looked down at her before looking back at the rioting teenagers forcing Murphy to stand on a box. “That isn’t good enough. I have to give the people what they want.”

“You’re not a murderer Bellamy Blake!”

He shook his head and pried her hand off him. “You don’t know me.” He turned to two boys and nodded to the brunette. “Restrain her.”

They grabbed her arms as the others kicked the box out from under John, She took a deep breath before kneeing one in the gut and flipping the other to the ground.

Bellamy stared at her in shock. “Where did you learn to do that?” His hand dropped to his pocket and gripped around a knife. “You fight like a guard.”

With a grin, she lunged forward and knocked the weapon from his grasp before picking it up and pointing it at him. She let out an airy laugh. “And I see you still fight like a girl.”

His eyes widened as he stared at the girl. “Ryan?”

She smiled and turned her attention to the boys holding the rope. “Cut him down!”

“He killed someone!”

“A life is a life! Now cut him down before _I_ cut _you_ down!” She growled and raised the knife above her head. The boys scrambled to untie the rope and Murphy’s gasps soon filled the air.

Lucifer rushed to Murphy and tore the rope away before pressing her lips to his.

Bellamy stood in front of the brunette, his arms crossed. “Explain. _Now_.”

She rolled her eyes and turned to the couple on the ground. “Orion Asher just saved your life. Remember that next time you want to be an asshole.” Murphy nodded and wrapped his arm around the redhead burying her face in his shoulder.

She pointed the knife at Bellamy. “Move.” He gritted his teeth and stepped aside. The crowd parted for the brunette as she walked towards the dropship. She threw the knife into the ground before disappearing inside.


	3. She

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mystery Girl is no longer a mystery.....or is she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehehehheheheheh I didn't mean to make the summary and title coincide like that but I'm okay with it.  
> This took too long. Mostly because I only wanted to write Fry (they make me so happy it's kinda weird) and more happens.  
> I'm currently trying to do homework and it's slowly killing me, so I might just start the next chapter.
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers (and I'll try to survive my last day of school)  
> -Eri

Orion strode to the ladder and she began to climb to the second level, her legs immediately moving faster as the sound of Bellamy’s footsteps.

“Asher!” His voice boomed around the metal enclosure.

“Don't call me that.” She called over her shoulder as she scrambled up the ladder, her foot slipping in her hurry. She hauled herself up and slammed the hatch down before throwing her body over top of it.

“Damn it, Asher, open up!” She could hear the fury in his voice despite the metal between them as his fists pounded against the hatch, nearly throwing her off.

“I’m sorry, Bell, it wasn’t my choice!” She screamed, gripping the handles of the ladder and digging her shoes into hinges, straining against the sheer force of Bellamy.

Ear pressed against the hatch, she heard him stomp angrily back down to the floor. A soft knock followed seconds later.

“Ry? It’s Finn. Can I come up?” She could barely hear him through the metal, but his concern was evident.

The brunette stared at her white knuckles before reluctantly rolling off the hatch. She opened the lid and Finn smiled up at her.

“Come down, Blue Eyes.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted to come up?”

He shook his head in frustration and looked to Bellamy. “Apparently, I’m not the only one that wants to talk to you.” Orion looked past him to see Octavia, Clarke, Jasper, and Monty also standing around the ladder. She looked back to Finn, who just smiled at her. “It’s time for the big reveal, Mystery Girl.”

Orion rolled her eyes. “Only because you’re cute, Collins.” He smirked at her before descending the ladder, the brunette following reluctantly.

Once her feet hit the floor, Bellamy rushed towards her, only to be stopped by Finn stepping protectively in front of her and shaking his head at the older man.  Bellamy glared at him before looking over to the girl leaning on the ladder.

“How the fuck are _you_ Ryan Asher?”

She shrugged. “Good question. It _is_ pretty impossible to be someone that doesn’t exist.”

“Ryan Asher was my friend, a cadet for the Guard.”

“Aw, thanks Bells, didn’t know you felt so strongly about little old me. You know, I would’ve been an awesome Guardsman, too, if _someone_ didn’t go and get me arrested.”

“I reported Ryan because he stabbed his father to death!”

Orion looked to the ground, kicking at the floor. “I didn’t mean to… It was self defense and…”

Bell shook his head. “I’m not buying it. I mean Ryan didn’t have…” He trailed off, his eyes falling to her chest.

She crossed her arms, shielding herself from his view. “Ew, gross Bell, we’re friends.” He gave her a look and she rolled her eyes. “It’s called binding, genius, and it hurts like a bitch.”

“I trusted you! I told you about Octavia and you couldn't even tell me your name?!”

“I _never_ told anyone about her!”

Octavia stared at her. “Wait _you’re_ Ryan? Bell’s _friend_ Ryan?”

“Hi, O.”

“I had a crush on Ryan!”

Orion laughed drily. “Trust me, that was painfully awkward. Almost as much as my crush on your brother.” Bellamy’s eyes widened and she grinned. “Relax, Bell, you're an asshole now and that's just not my type.”

Monty tilted his head and pointed between him and Jasper. “Okay, but Ryan was our friend, too, and it just doesn’t fit.”

The brunette held up her index finger and took a deep breath. The next second her voice came out an octave lower. “And you called yourselves the Brainy Bros.” She coughed abruptly as the others stepped back in shock. “Ow,” her voice returned to normal as she rubbed her throat, “I haven’t done that it three years, forgot how much it hurt.”

“Oh my god she really is Ryan.” Jasper croaked.

“Finally!”

“But…how?”

“Jeez, do I have to spell it out? Fine. When I was born, my parents were pissed because they wanted a son. Real sexist, if you ask me. Well, they sucked it up because of the stupid one child law, and named me Orion. Apparently he was some Greek badass? I don’t know, but apparently it also doubles as a girl’s name because Dr. Griffin didn’t ask questions. Anyway, they told me being a girl made me a disgrace and the only way to fix that was to be a boy.  And little me would do anything to make her parents happy. So, I kept my hair short and dressed like a boy in public just to come home and get beat in private. I grew up thinking that shit was normal. Do you know how fucked up that is?”

Clarke tilted her head. “Then why call yourself Ryan?”

“When I went to school I saw girls in dresses and I realized that whatever the hell I was wasn’t ‘normal’. So, I took the ‘O’ off, changed the spelling, and made up a new identity for the ‘boy’ I had to be and the one you all, well _most_ of you, know. I admit, it’s not very clever, but, hey, I was five and it kept me sane.”

“Ry, you don’t have to keep going.” She turned to Finn’s pitying stare and shook her head.

“No, I know Bell, and he won’t stop.” She cleared her throat and trained her eyes on a spot on the wall. “I tried to be as athletic and intelligent as possible, just so Mr. and Mrs. Asher could have the son of their dreams. But, a few weeks before my fifteenth birthday, I heard them plotting to kill me. They thought if I ‘died in my sleep’ the Council would let them have another child and they could get the real boy they always wanted. So I took a knife from the kitchen and hid it under my pillow, the same one they tried to smother me with the next night.”

Bellamy held up his hand and frowned at her. “Hold on. I knew them. They weren’t like that.”

Her face darkened and her voice dripped with venom. “Okay, _cadet_ , tell me why Carina Asher was floated a month after I got thrown in lockup.”

His face fell. “She… She was pregnant and...refused the abortion…”

Orion gritted her teeth and balled her fists at her sides. “As if hearing them plan my _murder_ wasn't bad enough, I had to listen to them make my replacement!”Her voice rose to a scream and tears trailed down her cheeks as she turned to the raven-haired man. “Do you still think I'm lying Bell?”

He shook his head and stared pitifully as the girl wiped her eyes. Bellamy stepped towards her and she shrunk away from his outstretched hand.

“I’m sorry. I'm so sorry.” He mumbled and exited the dropship.

Orion turned away from him and climbed back up the ladder, the hatch closing behind her with a soft thud. The others exchanged uncertain looks before following the raven-haired man out of the dropship, except for Finn who ascended after the girl. He found her sitting against the wall, knees pulled to her chest and head down so the dark locks created a curtain around her. He sat next to her, their shoulders touching, and stared straight ahead.

“I'm sorry.” Finn whispered. “I shouldn't have talked you into that.”

She shook her head. “Bell would've done worse if I didn't talk.”

“Why did you tell me the truth? Why did you tell me people called you Ry?”

She shrugged weakly and her voice came out more like a breath. “You didn't know Ryan.”

She sat up, running her fingers through her hair. She turned to Finn, whose hands wiped at her damp cheeks before tucking the blonde hairs behind her ear. She blushed, but her eyes stayed on the long-haired boy beaming back at her.

A cough caused the two to look away from each other and towards hatch. A small girl’s face peeked up over the edge.

Orion leaned away from Finn and donned a cheerful smile as she addressed the girl. “Hey, Charlotte, is something bothering you?”

“Can I talk to you?”

“Yeah, sure, what’s up?”

“Just you. Not him.” The little girl glanced at Finn warily and shook her head.

Orion nodded to the long-haired boy, who warily stood and descended to the main level. Her blue eyes filled with concern as they took in the younger girl. “Charlotte, what happened? Is it the nightmares again?”

She broke out in tears. “They won’t stop! Bellamy told me to slay my demons but now they’re worse!”

“Charlotte, everything will be fine. Just tell me what happened.”

She bit her quivering lip and whimpered. “I killed Wells.”

“What?” Bellamy’s voice echoed as he climbed the ladder.

“You told me to!”

“Bell, please, she’s _twelve_!” Orion stepped in front of Charlotte protectively.

The raven-haired man stared at the brunette sadly. “Ry, I promise I won’t hurt her. Just trust me on this.”

She crossed her arms and stood her ground, staring defiantly at her old friend.  Finn and Clarke appeared at the opening, the boy moving to stand next to the brunette.

Clarke at the scene in front of her in confusion. “Does anyone want to explain to me what’s going on?”

“We found Wells’ killer.”

“She’s just a child! Following _your_ advice, I might add!” The brunette shifted to hide the girl from view.

“I didn’t tell her to kill someone! Look, I don’t want to hurt her, either, but thanks to our Princess, they’re starving for justice.”

Finn glanced back at the girl behind him. “So, we don’t tell them.”

“And you think they’ll just forget? They know it was one of us.” Clarke looked nervously to the hatch, aware anyone could hear.

“We can’t execute a child! That would make us worse than the Ark!”

“We can’t just give her a warning and a slap on the wrist either! She _killed_ someone!” She looked to Orion. “You’re the one who thinks life is so precious. What the hell do we do when someone takes it away?”

“A life is a life. And we don’t have the power to decide that.”

“I’ll kill the bitch for you!” They froze as Murphy’s voice rang from below.

“Bell.” Orion breathed out, her eyes wide with panic. The raven-haired man nodded and descended to meet John, Clarke following.

Finn and Orion waited with baited breath for the shouts to soften with their departure. They climbed down to the first level, Charlotte trailing behind in confusion. Orion picked up a wrench and kneeled on the floor, loosening bolts on a barely noticeable square.

“Get in.” She whispered as she lifted the metal from the floor. “There’s benefits to being friends with mechanics.” She waited for Charlotte and Finn to enter before ducking below and replacing the square. “Watch the wiring and don’t even _think_ about talking.” She mumbled as her hands searched the wall for another set of bolts. She repeated the process, her breath catching when Murphy’s voice screamed above her.

“Where the fuck is she?!”

“Babe, just calm down for a second and listen to me.” Lucifer cooed to her boyfriend.

“Calm down?! They didn’t try to hang you!”

“I know, but she’s just-”

“A kid? I don’t care! She’s the reason I almost died!”

“So you’d kill a twelve-year-old girl?”

“If she deserves it!”

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later, _Diana_ , or better yet, just leave me alone from now on.” Light footsteps receded away from the hiding trio, towards the door.

“Lu, I didn’t mean that.” His voice trailed off as his footsteps followed hers.

“Let’s hope it takes them a few minutes to kiss and makeup.” Orion muttered as the metal plate dropped to the floor with a clatter. Finn and Charlotte stepped out into the open air, waiting for the brunette to finish covering their tracks.

Finn led the girls through the forest before stopping at a spot on the ground. “Hey, Blue Eyes, I know something you don’t know.”

A shout echoed around the trees and Orion looked to the long-haired boy in a panic. “Finn, it’s really not the time.”

He sighed and stepped back to lift part of the ground, revealing a metal tunnel into the earth. “Just take the fun out of everything, why don’t you.”

She stared at him in awe. “How did you-”

“You have your secrets, Mystery Girl, and I have mine.” He grinned at her and gestured for her and Charlotte to enter before following and closing the door.

The girls looked around in awe, eyes roving the walls and miscellaneous supplies. Orion suggested Charlotte sleep. Finn watched in admiration as the older girl tucked the younger in, murmurring about someone named Little Lotte. Once the girl was asleep, Orion sat next to Fin wearily.

“What was that about?”

She shrugged. “Charlotte and I were neighbors up in the Skybox. Her nightmares were as bad as mine, judging from her screams, so I used to sit against the vent and tell her the story that calmed me down.”

He looked at her curiously, but shook his head. “You should get some sleep too, Blue Eyes. You know, I have a pretty comfy shoulder.”

The corner of her mouth twitched up. “I'm sure you do.”

He leaned into her, his hair tickling her neck. “Never mind, yours is comfier.” She laughed softly. “Dammit I can't see you blush from here, and I _know_ you're blushing.” She smacked him lightly and his fingers wrapped around her wrist before turning her hand over and tracing the lines of her palm.

She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until the closing door startled her awake. Finn groaned as her shoulder jostled his cheek.

He sat up and pushed his hair out of his face. “What the hell-”

“Charlotte’s gone. I know what she's gonna do, Finn, we have to stop her.” She stood up, tugging on his arm to follow her. He stumbled after her as she rushed out of the bunker.

The two ran through the forest, following screams and shouts. They came to a spot where the trees cleared, just in time to see Charlotte jump off a cliff, Bellamy reaching out after her. Orion screamed and lunged forward as Finn wrapped his arms around her.

She struggled against his hold. “I'm gonna kill him! Do you hear me, Murphy? You _will_ pay for this!” John looked at her with wide eyes and stepped back.

Finn tightened his arms and pulled her back. “C’mon, let Bellamy handle this.”

“She was a kid!”

“I know, and so does Bellamy. He’ll do that right thing.”

Her voice broke into a whisper. “She was my friend… I took care of her…”

“I'm sorry.” He loosened his grip, but she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his shoulder, her torso shaking. He held her, swaying slightly, fingers running through her hair. He could hear Bellamy and Murphy shouting. “C’mon, let's get out of here.”

“Your shoulder’s comfy.” She mumbled and he grinned down at her.

“Wow, she only likes me for my shoulders.” She giggled and pulled away, but Finn kept his arm around her back as they returned to camp.

They arrived as Bellamy started explaining the events of the night: Charlotte’s death, Murphy’s banishment, and the decision for rules. The teens listened raptly and applauded as the man finished. Bellamy spotted Orion in the crowd and made his way over.

Before he could reach, a redhead tackled Orion in a hug. The brunette patted her back consolingly as the girl sobbed into her shoulder.  

“Are you okay?” Bellamy looked to the two in concern. Lucifer gave him a glare and stormed into a tent.

Orion watched the girl sadly before smiling at the raven-haired man. “At least you didn’t kill him. You did good, Bells.” She patted his arm before walking past him to the dropship with Finn in tow.

Orion made her way over to Monty, who was tinkering with Clarke’s bracelet.

“I think I have it!” He smiled triumphantly and explained his theory. Finn ran to get the others.

The brunette bit her lip and tapped her wristband thoughtfully. “I'm not so sure, but I've never seen anything like this.” She shook her head and turned to her crestfallen friend. “I'm sure you're right.”

His smile returned as a few others came to witness Monty’s genius. He pressed a button, causing the metal in his hands to sizzle. The few still wearing them cried out in pain and held their arms.

Monty groaned, his head falling in his hands. Orion patted him on the back and picked up the discarded metal thoughtfully. She sat next to the down-hearted boy and fiddled with the band. The others left, muttering about their disappointment.

“I fried it, Ry.”

“You did everything you could. Now, hush and give me a screwdriver. I'm not giving up on them.”

Monty laid his head on his arm and watched the girl as she poked and prodded, occasionally offering advice.

“Hey, Monty, if I-” She turned to see him fast asleep and she smiled softly.

Finn poked his head inside the room, smiling at the brunette. “Hey, Blue Eyes, aren't you tired?”

She smiled at him and shook her head. “I can't give up on them. They never gave up on me.”

“They?”

“Wick and Graco, my friends up there and possibly the only two people who gave a shit about me. If they were here, they’d know what to do… I just need it to turn on for a second.”

“Is that why you left yours on?” She nodded. “How would that help, exactly?” He sat across from her and stared curiously.

“They would know we’re alive, at least for a second, or they would think the bands are malfunctioning, which leaves possibility that we’re alive.”

A hand landed on her arm and she jumped, turning to the Asian man beside her. “You’re too loud.” He groaned before standing up and trudging out of the room.

She laughed quietly and Finn moved to sit beside her. She returned her attention back to the metal in her hands as Finn played with her blonde hairs.

“How?”

She shrugged. “Genetic anomaly, I think.”

“Sorry I only speak English.” He smiled sleepily as she rolled her eyes. Her blue eyes stayed focused on her work, causing Finn to groan. “Tell me a story.”

“What?”

He tugged on her hair. “Come on, Mystery Girl, I know you're full of them.” She laughed but continued working. “What about Little Lotte?” Her hands froze. “How did you learn it?”

She shrugged. “There was a girl that lived by me when I was little. She was obsessed dancing and singing. I used to go over at her house, and she would play this movie, _The Phantom of the Opera_ , I think. Well, there was something about a little girl who couldn’t decide whether she preferred goblins or dresses that just stuck with me. Why don’t you tell me a-”

The bracelets in her hands and on her wrist lit up before fading again, Finn sat up and stared at the metal, his jaw hanging open.

“Did you just-”

“I did it!” Her eyes lit up as she smiled brightly at him.

“You’re a genius.” He stared at the brunette in awe as she flung her arms around him in a hug.

She went to pull away as he wrapped his arms around her. She blushed upon noticing their noses almost touching and looked down. Finn tucked her hair back behind her ear, and she locked eyes with him once again.

“You’re adorable when you blush.”

She bit her lip as her face grew redder. “Thank you, um, for staying with me.”

“I don’t mind, I like spending time with you.” He whispered.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Finn leaned in and connected their lips. Orion gripped his shirt hesitantly before pushing him away.

“Finn, I can’t, I’m too damaged, you don’t deserve that.”

“No, you’re _different_ , and damn it, if that doesn’t make you the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.” She stared at him and he shook his head as he let go of her. “I’m sorry, Ry, I-”

She pulled him into another kiss, her fingers lost in his dark locks. He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her closer.

They broke apart, grinning at each other. Orion twisted a strand of hair around her finger. Finn smiled and pulled his hand up to meet her, stopping her motion. He brought the other to cup her chin, staring into her blue eyes. Shouts interrupted the moment as their attentions shifted to the world outside the dropship. “Damn, I was really looking forward to making out.”

Orion laughed, nudging him slightly. “Come on, Spacewalker. Shouts usually don’t mean anything good.”

They walked out into the night air to see the delinquents staring up at the sky. The two looked up to see a streak of light cut through the darkness. Finn looked to Orion, who watched in wonder.

“What’d you wish for?”

His voice snapped her out of her daze and she turned to him with a grin. “You first.”

“Damn it, Mystery Girl. Fine, my wish is...to see the world like you do. Now, own up.”

She reached up to tug lightly on his locks. “For you to never cut your hair.” He laughed at her and pushed her hand away. She turned back to the sky. “Anyway, it's a good thing I'm joking, because that’s not a shooting star.”

“What?”

“That's a ship burning through the atmosphere. And I am going to find it tomorrow.”


	4. If it Means a Lot to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm ruining everything.  
> Science Club meeting.  
> Bell and Ry are BROTP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is quite long. Whoopsies. But apparently a lot happens. Z and I have fallen in love with Jesse (Finn) from Prom because hello yes. It's Christmas Eve, so Merry Christmas if you celebrate and Happy Holidays if you don't :) I will be spending my evening being forced to socialize and sneak writing. Which, the last time I did that I fell asleep in the middle of a sentence so.....I'll try my best.
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers  
> -Eri

Orion leaned against the the wooden barrier around the camp, twisting her hair idly and occasionally adjusting the pack on her shoulders.  She kicked off the wall upon seeing a figure approaching from the trees and walked towards the raven-haired man.

“Hey, Bell, where are you coming from?” 

He shook his head slightly and gave her a lost look. “Uhh, I was just... out for a walk.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Uhuh, well Finn and I are gonna go look for whatever crashed last night. You wanna come?”

He smiled down at her. “No thanks. Heard being the third wheel sucks.”

She blushed and looked down at her feet. Bellamy made to step past her into camp, but she grabbed his elbow. “Bell, get some rest. You need it, apparently.” He snorted and mussed her hair before walking past the girl.

She stared after him curiously until he disappeared into his tent. She turned back to the forest, movement catching her eye, She stiffened as her eyes scanned the leaves until they locked on those of a dirty man crouching on a branch. A hand landed on her shoulder and she whipped around.

Finn smirked at her. “Hey, Blue Eyes, miss me?” His face fell when he noticed her panicked expression. “Everything alright?”

She looked back to the trees, and, seeing nothing, shook her head. “No… I thought I saw something, but… It’s probably nothing.”

Finn followed her gaze and chuckled. “Maybe all this Earth radiation is getting to your head.”

She smiled. “Hope I don't grow two.”

The two laughed and Finn grabbed her hand, their fingers intertwining, and pulled her towards the trees. “C’mon, we have an adventure to go on.”

Her attention drifted back to the trees and she stayed rooted to the spot. Finn grinned and pulled her towards him. He cupped her chin and lifted it up, her eyes flitting to his.

“Hey, I’ll protect you, remember?”

She bit her lip to mask her smile. “I’m not a princess, Finn.”

“And that’s why I like you.” 

She blushed as Finn brushed his thumb over her cheek. He lowered his head and pulled her chin until their lips met.  Her hand reached up to tangle in his hair and he caught her wrist, pulling away with a chuckle. 

“Why do keep doing that?”

“I like your hair. Besides, you play with mine all the time.” She grinned at him before tugging him back to her lips.

They bumped noses, and the two burst into laughter. 

“Hey, I’d love to go back in my tent and make out, but don’t we have some big adventure to find?” He mumbled against her lips. She answered with a soft hum and he chuckled before untangling her from his locks and tugging her towards the trees.

They were walking through the forest when Finn grabbed her hand again and raised it to eye-level, pulling her closer in the process. He flicked the metal around her wrist. “Why are you still wearing this?” She shrugged and gently tried to remove herself from his grip. He shook his head at the stubborn brunette and tugged her streak. “Really, Mystery Girl? I thought we were past that.”

She sighed. “I don’t know… We’re supposed to wear it.”

“You’re not the type to follow rules you don’t like.”

“I guess I’m still hoping we can reestablish the connection.”

He nodded and swiped his fingertips across the metal. “And the carvings?”

“I already told you about Wick and Graco.” He tweaked her hair again and she rolled her eyes. “It’s just something stupid I would do in lockup. Whenever it got bad, I made a list of the reasons why I shouldn’t give up. And down here, where everything wants to kill us, I figured I needed a constant reminder, and resources are short.” He nodded and lowered their hands so they swung between them. They held eye contact for awhile before she turned away. “Hey, I think I see smoke over there.”

He followed her gaze and nodded. “Looks like an escape pod, judging by the exhaust.”

She turned back to him, her eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, how did you know that?”

He bit his lip and tied the ground before turning back to the girl with a shrug and lopsided smile. You’re not the only one with friends in Mecha.”

Ry tilted her head in confusion, and he pulled her through the trees into a clearing where a crumbled piece of spherical metal emitted dark clouds. She dropped his hand and the two raced towards the pod. Orion reached it first and peered in, a gasp leaving her mouth upon noticing the person inside. 

She poked her head out of the pod and called to the long-haired boy. “Finn! There’s someone inside and I think they’re hurt! I need you to look around and find anything we can use to help them.”

“Could you be any more vague?” 

The brunette rolled her eyes at the distant sarcasm and turned her attention to the astronaut. Carefully, she stretched to press the button on the side of the helmet, the visor disappearing to reveal an unconscious inky-haired girl.

The girl stirred as Orion examined what little she could see for injuries. She stretched to remove the helmet when the girl’s eyes fluttered open.

“Raven? Hey, I’m just trying to help, okay?” Orion whispered in a soothing voice as she successfully lifted the headwear.

“Ry?” Raven croaked and stretched, causing her to whimper in pain. 

Orion sat back in shock. “How did you…?”

“Hey, Ry, what the hell am I supposed to be getting? I mean, I picked up a whole bunch of shit, but I honestly have no clue.” The long-haired boy called out and the two girls turned to the sound of the voice.

“Finn!” Raven groaned as she struggled free from her seatbelt and stumbled out of the escape pod. 

“Raven, stop, you’re hurt.” Orion reached for the girl, who was quickly shedding her spacesuit. She huffed and crawled out of the metal container. 

Finn let the supplies fall from his arms as he stared at Raven in shock. The girl ran into his arms and he swayed her lightly, burying his face in her neck. Orion averted her gaze to the ground when the tan girl pulled the boy into a kiss. She grit her teeth and crawled back into the shuttle, searching for any form of communication and attempting to tune out the lovers’ reunion.

Ry noticed a group of splayed wires and bent to inspect them. “Dammit.” She grumbled under her breath and threw them in frustration. 

“Shit. The radio.” Raven broke apart from Finn and rushed back towards the blonde-streaked girl. “Move, Ry, I need to find something.”

Orion stood up, shaking her head. “It’s not here.”

“What!” She pushed past Orion, rummaging frantically through the compartments.

Ry rolled her eyes, avoiding the panicked looks from Finn. “I already checked. The wires were cut.”

“You don’t get it. If I can’t contact the Ark, three hundred innocent people are going to die.”

“They're enacting a Culling?” She looked in horror to the new arrival, who nodded. “Well, good thing I have a damn good hunch who stole your radio.” She walked quickly back towards camp, leaving the couple behind her.

Once she passed the walls, Ry stomped towards Bellamy’s tent and threw the flap aside. Two girls let out shrill cries and covered themselves as Bell glared at the brunette crossing her arms.

“Do you mind? Or are you looking to join?” He smirked at her and fell back, his arm draping over his face.

“If I wanted to be one of ‘Bellamy’s Bitches’, I would’ve applied years ago.” 

“Well, you weren’t exactly a ‘bitch’ then were you?” He chuckled and raised his head to grin at her.

She kicked at the dirt, her voice losing the teasing tone. “I need to talk to you.”

He sighed and waved the girls away. As they passed, the girls sent glares to the brunette, who simply smiled sweetly. 

Bellamy groaned and sat up. “Now, what the hell do you want?”

“The radio.”

His face paled. “What?”

“You know what I’m talking about.” Her face darkened as he looked to the ground guiltily. “Look, Bells, I’ll ignore the fact that you left someone to die. Hell, I won’t even say it’s you. Just tell me where the damn thing is so  _ three hundred  _ people don’t die.”

“I don’t-”

“Blake!” She growled and took a step near him.

“Hey! Look who wants to join ‘Bellamy’s Bitches’!” He grinned at her and nodded to his lap.

She shook her head and gave him a disappointed look. “You’re better than this, Bell, I know you.”

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “They can’t come down.”

She sat next to him hesitantly. “Everyone will die if they stay up there.” 

“They’ll kill me.” He buried his face in his hands.

She bumped his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Little Baby Bell, I’ll protect you. We’re brothers-in-arms, remember?”

He snorted. “ _ Brothers _ .”

“Oh, fuck off.”

He turned his head to look at her. “The river. I threw it in the river. Give me two minutes and I’ll come help you find it.” 

Ry nodded and exited the tent, only to be met with Raven and Finn.

“Well?” Raven crossed her arms and looked to the other girl defiantly.

Orion bit her lip and pushed the hair out of her face. “Bell said he saw someone throw something into the river a few hours ago. He’ll be out in a few to help look. I suggest we go find a few others, make it easier.” 

She gave them a tight-lipped smile before heading off in the direction of Jasper’s and Monty’s tent. Finn followed and waited until they were out of earshot before pulling on her hair lightly.

“What’s going on? You just lied to me.”

“So did you.” She mumbled, avoiding eye contact with him.

He stopped and stared at her. “Ry, I-”

“I think your girlfriend needs you, Spacewalker.” She ducked into the tent, and he turned to awkwardly shuffle back to Raven.

Moments later, a decent search party had formed, with the inclusion of Clarke. The teens travelled to the river and fanned out in search of the radio. Jasper and Monty had found nothing and instead decided to splash water at Orion. She laughed and retaliated, their fun quickly turning into a miniature war. The three were soaked and laughing like lunatics, the radio still unfound, when their battle reached peak intensity. Orion ran to dodge from a particularly large splash, when the current caught her foot and she lost her balance. She let out a yelp as two hands caught her under her arms. She tilted her face up to thank her rescuer, and her smile morphed into a glare.

“Hey Blue Eyes.” Finn grinned down at her and she rolled her eyes. He pulled her to her feet and she promptly sloshed back to the shore. She walked along the riverbank, ringing her hair and clothes out, as she busied herself with finding the radio. Finn followed her and grabbed her elbow. “I think we should talk.”

She took a deep breath and turned to him with feigned cheerfulness. “What’s there to talk about?”

His face fell. “Well, for starters, the kiss-”

“Meant nothing. We were exhausted and I got excited because the bracelet worked.”

“And this morning?” He clenched his jaw and stared at the brunette, who shrugged and continued walking. He rolled his eyes and cut in front of her path, stopping her with crossed arms. “We both know  _ something  _ happened when we kissed. It didn't mean nothing.”

“Well, thanks to  _ one  _ of us, it has to.”

His hands ghosted down her arms before he grabbed ahold of her hands. “I care about you, Orion. A lot.”

She noticed his eyes darting around and pulled away with a shake of her head. “I don’t know if I want that. And I sure as hell don’t want to be anyone’s second choice.”

“Ry, I didn’t think I was ever gonna see her again!”

“Exactly. Unlike you, I don’t give up on the people I care about.” He dropped his head to the ground and she walked past him. “And right now, I’m gonna find that damn radio so I can save them.”

“Mystery Girl, I learned how to read you, and I know you care about me too.”

She stopped in her tracks and balled her fists. “Really, Spacewalker? Figured all that lost oxygen made you incapable of any brain function.”

She stomped away from the long-haired boy and began rifling through seaweed. Bellamy watched her with an amused look.

“What’s up with you and Lover Boy?”

“He’s a Player Boy, like you.”

He put his hand over his heart. “You’re killing me, Ry.” She growled and he put a hand on her shoulder. “C’mon, talk or punch something.”

She raised an eyebrow and socked him in the arm, causing him to mumble a string of curses under his breath. “Aw, thanks Bell, I feel much better now.”

“I was hoping you’d pick the former.” He groaned and held his arm.

“But you know me.” She grinned at him and he grumbled under his breath before continuing his search. “So, are you ever gonna tell me who you shot?” His hands froze and he looked up at her. “Pretty sure murder’s the only crime bad enough to deserve capital punishment down here. Must be someone pretty important, too.”

“Shut up, Asher. They’ll hear you.”

“Who?” She looked around at the spread out teens. “You’re in the company of murderers, my friend.” 

He kicked at the ground and mumbled, “The Chancellor.”

“No way.” He nodded and she stared at him in awe. “Not bad, Blake. If you’re gonna get floated for anything, that’s the golden ticket.”

“It’s the only way I could get on the dropship. I had to protect O.”

“Aw, Big Brother Bellamy, that’s too cute.”

He elbowed her side and looked over to see Finn staring at them. She turned, a scowl immediately replacing her grin, and the man beside her chuckled. “So, does this mean Bellamy has a new bitch, or?”

Orion looked up to the grinning man and gave him an over-exaggerated wink, and he threw his arm around her, pulling her into his side, as the two laughed. A shout rang out as Clarke held a box of metal above her head triumphantly.

The group rushed to encircle the blonde and Raven snatched the radio out of her hands. She turned it over and groaned. “It’s completely waterlogged. This is all your fault!” She screamed at Bellamy, who froze and looked at her innocently. “Oh, come on, the Ark’s been looking everywhere for you.”

Clarke turned to the raven-haired man. “Why would they be looking for you? Sneaking on a dropship isn't that serious.”

“You think that's the worst he's done? He shot Chancellor Jaha!” The others turned to Bellamy in shock. 

“So much for secrets.” Orion mumbled and stepped in front of her friend. “Look, we’re all criminals. Bell just did what a lot of us would’ve done if we had the chance.”

“He’s a lousy shot anyway. Jaha’s alive.”

Bellamy visibly relaxed. “So why are you so mad at me?”

“You trashed my radio! How are we supposed to contact the Ark before they kill three hundred in the Culling?”

Ry glanced at the soaked metal. “I got the wristbands to turn back on for a second last night. Shouldn't that give them enough doubt?  And us enough time for the radio to dry?”

Raven shook her head. “I don't know… Do you think you can do it again?” Orion shrugged and the tan girl pulled on her hair in frustration. “Okay, you get a team to work on that, and the rest of us will go back to the ship and see if we can find anything for communication.”

The group agreed and split up, Jasper and Monty following Orion back to camp while the rest returned to the escape pod. 

\----------------

Orion sighed and dropped the bracelet to the table, her hands moving to fist her hair.  Monty and Jasper shared a worried glance before the shorter boy cleared his throat.

“Ry, are you okay?”

“It’s not working.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it.”

She growled and knocked the metal off the table before burying her face in her hands. “No. It’s never gonna work.”

Jasper leaned down to pick the object off the floor and place it back on the table. “You’re the smartest person in this camp. You’ll get it.”

“And we’re here for you, whatever you need.” Monty smiled at her softly.

She looked up at them and sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just...nothing’s going right. Can you...find something to boost a signal?”

They nodded and exited the dropship. Orion dropped her head back to the table and glared at the wristband in front of her.

“Jeez, you’d think there was a fire from how fast they ran.” Orion jolted at the new voice and Raven grinned. “We found some stuff to make flares. Don’t know if they’ll see it in time though.” She sighed and let the contents in her arms spill onto the table. 

“If we make them fast enough, they will.” Orion picked up a spare part and twirled it in her hands boredly.

“So, what’s the holdup on your project?”

Orion rolled her eyes. “It’s not working. I know what I hit that set it off, but there’s a combination before and I don’t remember it.” Raven raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t really paying attention and it was late and Finn…”

Raven balled her fists and clenched her jaw, glaring at the girl across from her. “So you slept with my boyfriend?”

“No! No, it’s not like that. It was just a kiss and we weren’t in our right minds and it...meant nothing.” 

Raven dropped her eyes to the scraps on the table and moved them around absentmindedly. “You know I don’t believe that, right?”

Orion lowered her face and softened her voice. “I know it won’t make it better, but I didn’t know about you two and Finn thought you’d never meet again.”

“Just stay away from my boyfriend.”

“That’s the plan.”

Raven nodded. “Well, if you’re gonna give up on the bracelet, I could use some help with these flares.”

Orion nodded and the two worked together in silence. A few moments passed before Raven spoke up again.

“Wick told me.” Orion looked to her in confusion and she continued. “About the whole Ryan-Orion... _ thing _ .”

The blonde-streaked girl nodded and laughed. “Of course he did. Can’t trust the bastard with anything.”

“He wasn’t the same after you were arrested. He cares about you a lot.”

“Well I sure hope so, he’s my best friend and it’d be awkward if the feeling wasn’t mutual.” HEr grin fell and she bit her lip. “How is he?”

Raven shrugged. “Same as usual. A second away from blowing himself up out of his own stupidity.”

Orion smiled. “Yeah, but he’s smart enough to bring himself back to life.”

“Just to keep annoying the rest of us.” Raven snorted and the two girls burst into laughter as Finn entered the room. He gave them both a strange look before clearing his throat.

“Wow, you two are getting along surprisingly well...for just meeting and all.” 

The girls calmed and Raven reached out for him before pulling him to stand behind her. She leaned against him and pulled his arms so they wrapped around her shoulders. Finn sent a look to Orion, whose attention fell back to her work on the flares. Raven coughed loudly, gaining the attention of the long-haired boy. 

“That’s because we’ve known each other for years, Finn.” He looked between the two, panic morphing his features. “Well, I knew  _ Ryan _ from all the time ‘he’ spent at the station. With Wick.”

Finn looked to Orion. “So by friends in Mecha, you meant…”

She looked up from her work, her face a deadpan. “The Ark Science Geeks meet every Wednesday at three.” Her face broke into a grin as Raven burst into laughter. "And every waking hour every other day. But Wednesdays at three."

“They aren’t getting shit done now that the two smartest members are on the ground.” Raven joked.

Ry shook her head and laughed before standing from her work. “I’m gonna go find some recruits. These flares won’t make themselves.”

Finn furrowed his brow. “What happened to getting the bracelets to work?”

Orion’s eyes flitted to Raven, who frowned down at the materials in her hands. “I can’t remember the combination so I figured I’d work on something that has a better chance at success.”

He looked down to the girl in his arms and mumbled. “I remember it.”

Orion looked down as a blush painted her cheeks and Raven’s head shot to attention to watch the two. “Well, you go ahead and give that a try, but we don’t even know if the signal worked so… I’m gonna go.” She awkwardly exited the dropship. 

“Huh. Nothing.” Raven mumbled under her breath.

Orion returned with Jasper and Monty and the group worked in silence to build flares. Once their task was complete, they exited the dropship and gathered the other delinquents to light the flares. Orion’s jaw fell open and she stared as they turned the sky a bright magenta. Bellamy mussed her hair and smiled at her proudly, earning a light punch to the arm. 

Monty wrapped his arms around the girl in a celebratory hug. She laughed and the two began to joke and talk about pointless topics as the delinquents celebrated around them. The teenagers quickly began chanting for alcohol, turning to Monty expectantly.

He chuckled and turned to Orion. “Wanna help?”

“I’d love to.” She smiled and felt eyes burning through her. She looked over Monty’s shoulder to see Finn glaring at them. The brunette swallowed nervously and returned her attention back to the shy Asian boy. “But I think I'm just gonna sleep. I’m exhausted. Maybe next time?”

Monty smiled sadly before wishing her a good night and going off in search of Jasper. Ry kept her eyes trained on the ground as she approached the empty dropship. Before she could reach the door a hand wrapped around her elbow. She looked to see Finn, who nodded towards the trees. She rolled her eyes and allowed him to lead her into the forest. They stopped once the sounds of celebration became a low hum and Finn turned to her.

“What was that?” 

“Oh, so I'm not allowed to talk to my friends now? What was  _ that _ ?” She gestured to his hand still gripping her arm and he released her. 

“Why don't you want to talk about this?”

“There's nothing to talk about! You love her and you just met me. The choice is obvious!”

“Not for me it isn't!”

“Then I'll decide for you. Choose Raven. She loves you and I can't take that away from her.”

He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. “And what about you? I know there was something there, Ry.”

She shrugged. “I'm used to hiding myself. I have a fifteen year record, remember?”

His face fell and he lowered his voice. “You can't hide from me. I know you too well.”

“I let you.”

“Ry, I can't just forget-”

A scream cut through the air and the two froze. Finn placed himself between the girl and the trees as his hand rested on his knife. Orion searched the darkness and found no movement. The scream sounded again and the girl stiffened.

“That’s Octavia. We have to get Bellamy.” She sprinted back to camp, Finn following close behind, and pushed through the crowd until she found the raven-haired man. 

His face darkened as she approached. “What’s wrong?” His eyes landed on Finn. “Do I need to kill him?”

She shook her head, eyes wide with panic. “I just heard a scream. I think O’s in trouble.”


	5. These Are The Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light show  
> Radio  
> Lives at stake  
> Heartache  
> Woe is me  
> (br)OTP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heheheheheh I rhymed. I wrote almost all of this on my phone (either secretly under my covers in the early hours of the morning or at awkward family holiday parties) so I apologize for it's length and any typos. I had a lot of fun with this chapter (probably too much with the ending heheheheheh) so I hope you enjoy it :)
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers  
> -Eri

Bellamy stiffened as Orion continued to panic. “I don’t know where. Or why. Or how. But it’s O and she wouldn’t just disappear.”

He nodded and brushed past her, barking orders at the other delinquents, before disappearing into his tent. Ry sighed and followed after him.

“We’re gonna find her, Bell.” He ignored her and searched the tent for a weapon. She huffed, causing the hair in her face to flutter. “Okay, so when are we leaving? First light? Now? I mean I was hoping to get some sleep, but O-”

“You’re not going anywhere.” 

“The hell I’m not.  _ You’re  _ the one who made me promise to protect her in the first place. She’s like a sister to me.”

“I don’t care. You’re staying here.” He found what he was looking for and made to exit the tent.

Orion stepped in front of the exit and crossed her arms. “Is this because I’m a girl? Because that’s just wrong.”

“What? No, Ry-”

“Bell, you know I’m the best fighter here! And if O’s in trouble-”

He put his hands on her shoulders. “I know, but you’re also the smartest. I need you and Raven to get the radio working.”

She rolled her eyes. “I doubt anything can pull her away from the Spacewalker.”

He chuckled. “That’s why I’m bringing him with me.”

“That’s not fair!”

“I need a tracker. Besides, when has anything ever been fair for either of us?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Since when do you want contact with the Ark?”

He looked down. “Since I realized there are more people up there than just those that want me dead.”

She nodded. “Fine. You get your way this time. But I’m making you separate the lovebirds if they’re attached at the lips.” She turned on her heel and exited the tent.

She heard Bellamy chuckle behind her as she ducked into another tent. Her nose involuntarily scrunched in disapproval as she saw Raven cutting Finn’s hair. They turned to her and she looked to the ground upon realizing her stare.

She turned her attention to Raven. “Bell wants Finn to help find Octavia and for you and I to get the radio working. Come out when you’re ready, but Bell’s getting impatient.” She left before they could say another word. 

A twinkling caught her eye and she looked up to see the night fill with hundreds of shooting stars. The other delinquents came out to view the spectacle and she fell to her knees, her heart sinking. She felt hands grab her shoulders, shaking her, and she tore her gaze from the sky to meet Finn’s worried stare.

“We failed… I should’ve kept working on the stupid bracelet… I...” She mumbled and he pulled her to his chest. 

“Don’t you dare blame yourself.” Finn whispered into her hair.

Bellamy knelt next to them. “Ry, what’s wrong?” She shook her head and buried her face in Finn’s shoulder. “It’s just a meteor shower. What-”

She lifted her head and pulled away from Finn. “That’s what floating looks like, you dunce. Those are  _ bodies  _ burning up in the atmosphere, not fucking rocks. They could’ve been people we loved.” Bellamy’s face fell and Ry pushed herself to her feet, turning to Raven. “We need to get that radio working. Now.” 

She forced her way through the teenagers and stomped into the dropship. Raven shook the glare from her face before kissing Finn goodbye and following the blonde-streaked girl into the dropship. Orion had already set the radio on a table and began rummaging for parts. Raven sighed and set to work, the sounds of the search party departing echoing throughout the camp. The two girls continued to repair the radio in silence, apart from the occasional question and instruction. 

Hours later, they had finished the manual labor and started to search for the right frequency when cheers erupted outside. They looked to each other before rushing outside to see the return of the search party. At the sight of Octavia, Orion’s face broke into a smile, which quickly disappeared when her eyes landed on an unconscious Finn. 

“Raven, contact the Ark.” She turned to see the girl frozen in her spot. “ _ Now _ .” Raven snapped to attention and ran back inside. Orion sprinted to the boy and the delinquents holding him. “What happened?”

Bellamy swallowed and looked down at her. “Stabbed. Grounder.”

She nodded. “Get him in the dropship and find Clarke.” She ordered before rushing to a tent and disappearing inside. 

Monty looked up and smiled at her as she entered the tent. “Hey, Ry, what’s-”

“Monty, please tell me you have some moonshine lying around. It’s an emergency.” He looked around the area and handed her a thermos. She sighed in relief. “I could kiss you, Green.” 

He blushed and looked at her expectantly as she ran out of the tent. She sprinted through the rain to the dropship. Raven screamed into her earpiece as Clarke paced around Finn uncertainly. Orion paled upon noticing the boy’s state: bloody and nearly lifeless. She shook her head and walked to the blonde, holding out the thermos.

“Alcohol. Clean your hands.” Orion pulled her hair back as the blonde splashed the liquid. Ry held her palms out and Clarke repeated the motion. “Okay, first, we need to clean him up and cool him down.” She looked around, her eyes landing on Miller. “Get the cleanest water and rags you can find.”

He nodded and ran out. Orion walked to Raven and studied the radio. Raven sighed and smacked the table. “The storm’s interfering.”

Orion hummed in thought. “We didn’t make it portable… So, just...find a way to boost the signal.”

“And how do you expect me to do that?”

“Honestly? Play with it until you get a response.” Orion turned away from the girl as Miller returned with water.  

“You can tell Wick taught you everything.” Raven muttered and watched as Orion aided Clarke in cleaning the blood around the wound. “What makes you a medical expert anyway?”

Ry tenderly wiped the blood with a cloth. “Let’s just say you learn a lot about anatomy when you have to hide your own. And when you get beat every night by asshole parents and have to patch yourself up so no one asks questions.”

Raven looked down and turned back to the radio, continuing her cry for help and fiddling with the machine. Clarke looked to Orion over their patient.

“We’re going to save him.”

“If we can get the Ark to answer.”

The two turned their attention back to Finn. The tension built as the radio remained silent and the storm grew in intensity. The room jumped as Abby Griffin’s voice rang through the static of the radio. Raven hooked the radio to a speaker as Clarke rushed to explain the situation and answer any questions. Orion placed a fresh cloth on Finn’s forehead before moving to sterilize the medical instruments. Orion watched as Finn’s color drained and looked up to Clarke. She rolled her eyes when they began talking about Earth.

She cleared her throat. “Look, I’d love to have a cheeky Q and A but someone is  _ dying  _ here and I could sure use your help.” The people in the room turned to her and the radio went silent for half a second before Dr. Griffin snapped back into action. 

Before she could give them any instructions, the tarp over the door flapped open to reveal Bellamy. Octavia ran to hug him, and stepped back in horror as a group of boys entered with a bound man, his face paint smeared from the rain.

Orion clenched her jaw. “Absolutely fucking not.” She growled and stomped towards the boys before remembering Finn and turning back.

Bell looked down at her. “His people speared Jasper and killed three others.”

“We aren't them.”

“He can give us information.”

“I don’t care. We don’t take prisoners!”

“He’s the reason your little boyfriend is on that table and you want me to just let him go?” 

She looked down at Finn’s unconscious form. “Remember who you hate, Bellamy.” 

He shook his head and motioned for the others to bring their prisoner up the ladder. Once they had all ascended, the hatch shut with a bang and Octavia ran to Orion, grabbing her arm.

“You’re just going to let him  _ torture  _ someone?” 

Orion bit her lip for a moment before sighing and handing the container of alcohol to Raven. “Take my place.”

Raven’s eyes went wide. “What? You know what you’re doing more than I do-”

“Just listen to Dr. Griffin’s instructions and let Clarke do most of the work. I need to go stop an idiot.”

Octavia smiled and followed after as Orion climbed up the ladder and threw the hatch open. Bellamy turned from the chained prisoner to the two and yelled for the others to keep the girls back. Two boys grabbed Octavia’s arms. Orion crossed her arms over her chest as the others approached her.

“Don’t even think about it.” They looked at each other uneasily before clearing a path for her. She marched over to Bellamy. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Getting answers.”

“More like revenge!” Octavia screamed and struggled against those holding her. Orion glared at the delinquents and they released Octavia.

The blue-eyed girl turned back to Bellamy. “I know you’re pissed, but he’s still a person.”

“You and I have very different definitions of a person.” He picked up a seat belt with the metal connected still attached. “Get out of the way.”

She crossed her arms and stared up at him defiantly. He nodded his head slightly and two arms wrapped around her waist and dragged her away from the Grounder. 

“Miller, let me go right now and I won’t beat the shit out of you.” She growled and flailed against the teen’s grip. Octavia rushed forward, only to be caught by the boys near her. Orion let herself sag forward as she stared at Bellamy pleadingly. “Bell, please, you can’t come back from this.”

He dropped the belt shook his head before turning to the prisoner, who had been watching the girls curiously. “I'll give you one chance to do this the easy way. What's your name.” The captive stayed silent. “What do you want from us.” Bell growled and swung, his fist making contact with the man’s jaw. “What’s your name.” Bellamy continued to punch and kick but the man never spoke. He pushed his hands through his hair in frustration and picked up the seat belt.

Octavia strained against the arms holding her. “Bellamy! Please! He saved my life!”

He toyed with the material before letting his arm swing back. “I gave him a chance, O, and he chose not to cooperate.” He snapped his arm forward, the metal bit slamming into the man’s stomach. The grounder let out a grunt and hung his head forward. Bellamy yanked his head up. “Your name.” The grounder spat and Bellamy screamed in fury as he reared his arm back. 

Miller’s grip around Orion loosened as he watched in a mix of awe and fear, and the girl took the chance to break free. She bolted forward, placing herself in front of the grounder, just as Bellamy swung his arm. The metal landed with a sickened crunch and Orion slumped over, her arms holding her torso. 

The room stared in shock as she crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath. Bellamy’s eyes widened and he dropped the belt before kneeling beside her. 

He frantically shook her shoulders. “Ry, shit I didn't mean-I’m sorry-I-” She coughed and he hugged her to his chest. She let out a small whimper and he immediately released her. She blinked and gave her friend a hazy look before closing her eyes and leaning against him. 

The hatch opening diverted Bellamy’s attention to see Clarke emerge. Clarke gazed upon the scene in confusion before remembering the knife in her hand. 

“The blade was poisoned. Finn’s convulsing and we need the antidote.”

The brunette in Bellamy’s arms stirred and he glared up at the grounder. Carefully, he picked the girl up and carried her to the far corner of the room before setting her down gently. He stalked over to the bag of the grounder’s possessions and snatched a box of full bottles. He tossed it to Clarke. “That what you looking for?”

The blonde nodded and turned it over in her hands. “I don't know which…”

He nodded and grabbed the container before throwing it on the floor. He picked up a hook and stomped to the prisoner. “Which one.”

The man’s eyes glanced to the corner where Orion lay but he said nothing. 

“Please! Our friend is dying!” Clarke yelled, keeping her distance from the furious ex-cadet. The man stayed silent and Bellamy drove the hook into his hand, causing a groan.

Raven appeared at the small hatch, her eyes seeking Clarke. “He’s getting worse.”

“Which one!” Bellamy roared and slammed the belt back into the man. 

Raven’s face darkened and she pushed Bellamy out of the way before ripping the wiring from the wall. “Tell us.” The man glanced at the wires and let his head fall. She pressed them into his side and he screamed. She held them there as tears trailed down her cheeks. “He can't die! I won't let him!”

“Raven!” 

The dark-haired girl stopped as someone croaked her name. Orion limped from her corner, hand clutching her stomach. She shook her head and Raven let the wires fall before returning to take care of her boyfriend. The blue-eyed girl hobbled until she was a foot from the grounder. 

Her voice came out a low whimper. “Please. He’s my friend and I can't do this if he's dead.” The man stared at her and nodded his head toward the box. She picked it up and held it in front of him. 

Octavia stood at her side, the knife in her hand. The man’s eyes focused on the blade and he tended in panic. She raised it above her arm. “I know you won't let me die.” She brought the blade down, blood pooling on her skin. Orion let out a noiseless scream and the man frantically nodded to the bottle on the far right. Octavia grabbed it and threw it to Clarke, who rushed down to treat Finn.

Bellamy rushed forward to reprimand his sister as Ry found a wall to lean on. Clarke returned a few moments later to administer the antidote to Octavia and insist Orion returned to the first level for treatment. She agreed and descended the ladder, avoiding eye contact with Bellamy. Once her feet hit the ground, she looked around to see Raven curled up in a ball and asleep a few feet from the makeshift operating table. Ry stumbled to the water dish and wrung a rag before dabbing Finn’s forehead. 

Clarke shook her head, a smile on her lips. “Come see me when you’re ready.” She left and Orion continued her actions.

She leaned against the side of the table to catch her breath when Finn’s eyes fluttered open. 

He smiled at her. “Hey Ry.” She winced, clutching her stomach, and his brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “It's nothing.” He stared at her, unconvinced. “It was an accident. I'll be back to normal in a week or two.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her so she stood near his head. Gently, his fingers wrapped around the hem of her shirt and, with a cautious look up at her, he rolled it up to reveal her bruised abdomen. His fingertips ghosted over the purpling skin and she hissed.

His gritted his teeth. “Who did this to you?”

“I stepped in front of the belt to protect the grounder. Bell didn't mean-”

“I'm gonna kill him.” He struggled to sit up before falling back with a soft yelp, his hand on his side.

“No, you won't.” She smiled sweetly as she checked his wound.

“He hurt you!”

“And I’ve already forgiven him.”

“I swear, when I'm better-”

“If you don't cut it out, I'll make sure you never leave this table.”

He grinned at her. “I'm not sure whether I should take that as a threat or a promise.” He winked at her and she smacked his shoulder. “Hey! I just got stabbed!”

“Exactly why I should be worrying about you, instead of the other way around.”

He chuckled and grabbed her hand. “You're not hiding very well, Mystery Girl.”

She grinned. “I'm not allowed to care about my friend?”

“I don't think you can exactly call us friends.”

She gave him a look and cleared her throat. “Nice hair.”

“You hate it.”

She laughed. “I never said-”

“You didn't have to. When you saw it, your nose crinkled.” He smiled as she looked at her hands. “For a badass, you’re pretty adorable.”

She blushed. “I just liked it better long.”

“So did I.” She stifled a laugh and he smiled sadly at her. “I'm sorry I never told you.”

“Finn-”

“I want to talk about this.”

“You almost died not thirty minutes ago!”

“Please.” She huffed and he smiled at her. “Thank you.”

“I still think you should choose her.” He frowned. “Finn, you're her sun. She risked her life to come down here for you. She just fried a man in an attempt to save you. She  _ loves  _ you more than anything. Who am I to take that away?”

He shook his head. “Why do you always have to be so selfless?”

She laughed lightly and ran her fingers through the ends of his hair. “I'm not. I'm just not cruel. I spent my entire life being unwanted...unloved...and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.”

“ _ I _ want you.”

She gave him a sad smile. “And that's why this hurts so much.” His eyes went wide and she squeezed his hand. “My parents told me from the start that I disgusted them. But you… You gave me hope. And now, whether or not you mean to, you're ripping it away and it hurts like hell.”

“I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know and I don't blame you.”

He stared at her, his hand reaching to undo her hair before twisting the blonde strands between his forefinger and thumb. He whispered, “Orion...I think I love you.”

She sighed and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Goodbye Finn.”

Orion hobbled out of the dropship and to Clarke’s tent. As she entered, Bellamy called out her name and followed her. Clarke smiled as Ry rolled her eyes and ignored the man, who crossed his arms and stood at the entrance silently.

“What's up, doc?” 

“I'm not a doctor, Orion.”

“Well you have the humor of one.” She sighed as Clarke frowned. “I'm sorry, I just...don't like being hurt.”

The blonde nodded understandingly. “Well, let me take a look.” The brunette lifted her shirt and Clarke grimaced. “It's worse than I thought.”

“Not the worst I've had.”

The medic tapped her chin in thought. “I think there might be some healing salve left over, but I'm going to need Monty to make more for you to be able to use it properly.”

The brunette ran her hand through her hair. “Well why don’t you just ask him in the morning? Wouldn't be the first night I spent in pain.”

Clarke bit her lip and looked around uncertainly. “No. It's already bruising so we need to take care of it immediately. I doubt anyone else will get hurt before tomorrow.” She grabbed a small dish and Bellamy stepped forward.

“Let me do it.” He held his hand out, waiting for the container.

Clarke looked to Orion, who shrugged. The blonde sighed. “Just rub it over the bruised area. If something unusual happens, call me.”

He nodded and she handed the salve to him. He looked to the brunette and his voice softened. “Can you walk?”

“No, I teleported here.”

He rolled his eyes and put his arm around her waist to support her before steering her out of the tent and into his. 

She scrunched her nose. “Do we really have to go in the sex tent?”

“You didn't have a problem before.”

“Those were emergencies.”

He sighed and stood next to the makeshift bed. “Just sit down.”

“Fuck no. This is where all the dirty shit goes down.”

“You can barely stand.”

“Yeah, well whose fault is that?”

His face fell. “Please, Ry.” She stuck her tongue out at him and took a few shaky steps away from him. She grinned smugly at the man as she stayed standing. He sighed and knelt in front of her before opening the container. 

She crossed her arms and bit her lip. “I can do it by myself. You don't need to help me.”

He shook his head. “This is my fault, so I should be the one to fix it.”

“Bell-”

He moved her arms so he could lift the fabric and the girl wobbled on her feet and clutched his shoulders. He grinned up at her. “I told you to sit down.”

“Fuck you.” One hand released his shoulder to hold her shirt in place as he dipped his hand into the dish. His fingers touched her stomach and she winced. He froze and she shook her head. “Cold. Bruise. Combination of the two. I'm fine.”

He nodded and continued, trying his best to be gentle. The grip on his shoulder relaxed as the girl accustomed to the pain. 

“I'm sorry.” 

Orion looked down at the raven-haired man. “Don't be. I knew what I was doing when I ran in front of him.”

“But I-”

“Bell, if I'm not mad at you, you shouldn't be.”

He shook his head and continued to apply the medicine. “You shouldn't have protected him.”

“You shouldn't have tortured him.”

“He-”

“I don't care what he did.  _ He  _ is a person and  _ we  _ are above torture.”

“You can’t just opt for peace every time. Sometimes, it's not the best option.”

“And unnecessary violence never is.”

He shook his head. “I guess you and I are just too different.”

“We really aren't, Bell. I think the issue is that we’re too similar.”

He snorted. “How? I'm a fighter and you’re the biggest pacifist I've ever met.”

She laughed. “Of course I'm a fighter. I wouldn't be alive if I wasn't. I'm just not violent.” She looked down at him. “And neither are you.”

Bellamy looked up at her and stood to his feet, causing the girl to wobble at the sudden change. He tilted her chin and they locked eyes.

Orion furrowed her brow. “Bell, what’re you-”

He leaned forward and kissed her, and she went slack with shock. After a few seconds, he pulled away from her. 

“So...that...wasn't what I expected.” He mumbled and scratched the back of his head.

She burst into laughter. “Yeah, that was awful. I mean, you're hot and all, but you're like my brother. What were you thinking?”

“I don't know...you're pretty and we were having a moment and I…”

“You need to learn to show affection  _ without  _ Little Bell.”

He shoved her shoulder lightly. “Well, trust me it won't happen again. I just kept picturing you as Ryan and-” He shook himself and she laughed as she punched his arm.

“Good. We’re a good team...as  _ friends _ , but as a couple…” She scrunched her nose. “Besides, I take pride in being one of the few girls you haven't fucked.”

He frowned. “What's that supposed to mean?”

She grinned at him. “I love ya, Bells, but you're a manwhore.”

He ruffled her hair and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “C’mon, let’s get you to bed. You need the rest.”

“Look at you being all caring and shit.” She teased and leaned into him as he led her back to her tent.


	6. Entropy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helping hands   
> Old friends  
> Everyone trips balls  
> Outside the walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tired I think rhyming is a good idea. I'm watching the New York New Years' Eve thingy and just laughing at the people in the background. Oh, god there's an old man in a purple shirt and yellow shorts. Stop it Jimmy Buffet. Oh look everyone's drunk. And now my mom's singing. And my dog keeps barking. Please send help. 
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers  
> -Eri

Orion rubbed the sleep from her eyes and trudged through the camp. She walked into the dropship as a group of boys lifted Finn from the table and carried him outside. She stared after him and turned back to find Raven glaring at her. The tan girl turned back to the machinery in front of her as Ry kicked at the ground.

“Do you need a hand with that?” Raven scowled and the blonde-streaked girl put her hands up in defense. “Sorry. Just trying to help.” She walked past the mechanic and climbed the ladder, wincing slightly.

Bellamy turned at the sound of her arrival and nodded to her before his eyes returned to the grounder. Miller smeared berries onto the prisoner’s face, causing Orion to frown.

“Hey, Miller, I already owe you one beating. Do you wanna make it two?” She stomped forward and the boy hurried down the ladder.

The brunette sighed and approached the prisoner, who stared at her curiously. She tilted her head as she examined him.

“Who cleaned you up? Or,  _ tried  _ to…” She mumbled, mostly to herself, as she studied his wounds. She looked up at him. “Will you let me help you?” His eyes studied her face before looking over her shoulder to Bellamy. “He’s a big baby, trust me.” Whispering, she rolled her eyes and noticed his mouth twitch upwards. Her eyes lit up but she remained silent as she shuffled to a bucket of water. She dampened a rag and returned to him. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Bellamy stood and placed himself between the girl and the grounder. 

“Helping him.” She took a step to pass him, but the raven-haired man caught her elbow.

“The enemy?”

“A person.” She brushed past him and tenderly placed the cloth against the prisoner’s skin. He flinched and she pulled back, eyes wide with panic. “I’m sorry.”

Bellamy ran a hand through his hair. “I know you think you’re doing the right thing, but I can’t just stand by and watch-”

She looked back over her shoulder. “So close your eyes. Or leave, that would be better.” She moved the cloth over a cut and the grounder jumped back. “I know it stings, but if I don’t clean it, it’ll get infected.” He nodded his chin slightly and didn’t pull back when the cloth met his chest.

“I’m not going to leave you alone with a  _ grounder _ ! They’re dangerous and-”

“And I’m a big girl.”

“Ry, you’re hurt. What if he attacks you? You were one of the best in the guard but you can barely walk.”

She rolled her eyes. “If it makes you feel better, send O up.”

“Fuck no.”

She sighed and turned to the man. “Look, Bell, you make him uncomfortable, and for good reason. I’m trying to fix him up and your presence just isn’t helping. I highly doubt he could escape these chains, but if you’re that worried, O’s the only one I’ll let up here.”

“I’m not letting a murderous  _ grounder  _ anywhere my sister and best friend. Pick anyone  _ except  _ O.”

“If he wanted to kill her, he would’ve when she was in that cave. And if anything  _ does  _ happen, you know I’ll protect her.”

“But-”

“Bell, she’s the only one I trust on this.”

His face fell. “So you don’t trust me?”

“With my life? Yes. With his? No. Look, Bell, don’t take it personal. He seems to have some connection to O and, apart from me, she’s the only one that had a problem with torturing him.”

“They don’t have a connection. Don’t encourage her.”

She shrugged. “I mean, there’s definitely some Stockholm Syndrome going on there.”

“Not helping.”

She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Look, I’m not moving and I _ will  _ lock that door for everyone except Octavia. Just trust me on this.”

He gritted his teeth and stared at the grounder before sighing and turning to the girl. “Thirty minutes. That’s all I’m giving you before I come back or send Miller.”

She smiled and he climbed down the ladder with a roll of his eyes. Orion turned back to the prisoner and tended to his wounds. “It’s like talking to a brick wall.” He chest rumbled with a silent chuckle. “I knew you understood us.” He stiffened. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask any questions or make you talk. I know what that’s like a little too well.” He relaxed and she continued to wipe the blood from his body. They both jumped at the sound of Octavia’s arrival.

“What did you give my brother to make him agree to this?” The younger girl stood with eyes blown wide.

“Attitude. What else?” The two girls laughed and Ry resumed her task. “He’s gonna need more than water for most of these.” She bit her lip in thought before handing the cloth to Octavia. “Get him as clean as you can. I’ll be right back.”

“Bellamy said we had to stay together.”

“Bellamy shmellamy. I usually tune out whenever he talks anyway.”

“You know he’s probably sitting at the bottom of the ladder.”

Orion raised a brow and lifted the hatch before looking down at the empty ground. “Looks like it’s my lucky day.”

She climbed down the ladder and peered out the door. After seeing no sign of the ex-cadet, she sprinted to a tent on the edge of camp. She threw herself inside and gripped her stomach, wincing and panting for breath. Monty looked up in confusion before smiling at the girl.

“Hey, Ry, I got that salve for you.” He handed her a container and she bit her lip.

“Thanks, Monty, but I’m kinda here to ask you for another favor…” He furrowed his brow and she sat next to him. “Can you make an ointment for open wounds?”

“You mean like what I made for Finn?”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Do you have any left over?”

“Yeah, but…” He paused, studying her. “This isn’t for Finn, is it?” 

She bit her lip.“You can’t tell Bellamy.” He looked uncertain and she grasped his hands. “Please, Monty, I need your help.”

He looked down at their hands and sighed before handing her a second container. “This one’s gonna cost you.”

She beamed and hugged him. “Thank you so much, Monty.”

“You know you still owe me a kiss. Are you sure you want me to name the price?” She pulled away from him, eyebrow raised, and he blushed.

“When did you get so bold, Green?” She grinned at him. “I don’t like to be in debt, so remind me and I’ll pay up later. I would now, but-” She peered out the exit, noting the coast was clear. “I have to run before the King catches me.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”

“I thought you were gonna pay up later.”

She grinned. “That one’s free.” She winked and rushed out of the tent, leaving the boy to blush in private.

She raced back into the dropship and up the ladder, slamming the hatch at the top. Octavia jumped away from the grounder and Orion raised an eyebrow.

“I saw nothing.” She laughed and tossed a container to the girl. “Put that on his gashes. But just what’s needed, not all of it. Overuse could end up hurting him and Finn might still need it.”

Octavia looked at the jar in awe. “How did you-it doesn’t matter. Thank you.”

Orion nodded and leaned against the wall as the other girl turned back to the grounder and smeared the substance over his chest. Octavia had finished covering the last cut when a knock startled the three. Orion shot the other girl a look, and Octavia hid the container behind her back and distanced herself from the grounder. Orion opened the hatch to see Bellamy.

“Time’s up.”

Orion furrowed her brow and looked at the blank metal on her wrist. “It hasn’t been a half hour yet, has it?”

Bell rolled his eyes and climbed the rest of the way, allowing Miller to follow. “Something’s come up.” Orion raised an eyebrow and he sighed. “I’m leaving camp.”

“Why?” The two girls said in unison.

“Clarke and I are going to check out some old stockpile the Ark found.”

Orion grinned. “Sounds like fun. Count me in.”

He smirked. “No you’re not. You’re not allowed to leave camp for at least a week. Doctor’s orders.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But what’s up with Miller?”

“He’s going to watch our prisoner.” She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off. “He’s on strict orders to  _ only _ watch. Besides, you can’t stay up here when I’m leaving you in charge of camp.” Her eyes lit up and he chuckled. “Also, you have a call.” She tilted her head. “You’ll see.”

She shrugged and Octavia stepped forward. “Why can’t I stay?”

“Because I’m your big brother and I said so.”

She glared but Orion grabbed her arm. “You’re not gonna win this one, O. And do you  _ really  _ wanna hang out with Miller?” Octavia huffed and Ry’s face softened. “I promise I’ll check in to make sure he’s not hurt.”

Octavia sighed and let the blonde-streaked girl pull her to the hatch. Bellamy mouthed a “Thank you” and Ry stuck her tongue out. Bellamy nodded to Miller before following the girls down the ladder. Octavia took a seat next to the ladder as the other two exited the dropship.

Orion grabbed Bellamy’s arm and he stopped walking to turn to her. “Bell, just...be careful and don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“‘Look at you being all caring and shit.’” He looked to the ground. “You too.” She furrowed her brow and he walked away from her. She watched him meet Clarke and leave camp before she turned into the tent with the radio. 

Her face broke into a grin as she saw a familiar blonde man on the screen. “Wick!” She yelled as she rushed to pull the headset on and he laughed.

“Hey, Firefly.” He grinned at her.

She tilted her head. “Since when do you call me that?”

“Since now. I figured you needed a new nickname now that you’re on the ground.”

She laughed. “But why ‘Firefly’?”

“I’m glad you asked. See I was thinking and your hair kinda looks like lightning with the blonde, but Lightning’s a dumb nickname. So what else has lightning? A lightning bug! And it works because you’re kinda small like a bug. But Lightning Bug is an even dumber nickname so Firefly. And it’s perfect because it rhymes with Ry, you can be kinda fiery, and there’s this show I’ve been watching called  _ Firefly  _ that I’m sure you’d love.” He paused, searching her face. “Do you like it?”

She snorted. “I mean, I’m gonna miss ‘Starshine’ but it's unique and kinda eccentric, so yeah, I like it.”

He scoffed. “You’re not in space anymore so you're not a star, nor do you shine like one. So suck it up and glow like a firefly. Besides, you outgrew ‘Starshine’ years ago.” 

“So is Graco too busy to come see me?”

He shook his head. “They upped his hours. The Guard’s been on high alert since Jaha got shot.” The lighthearted tone left his voice and he stared at her. “They know it was Bellamy.”

She nodded and stared at her hands. “So do we. You don’t get it, Wick, we wouldn’t have survived without Bell. And it’s not like he’s the only criminal  _ or  _ murderer down here.”

His face softened and he sighed. “It’s the Council you need to convince.” He stared at her for a few seconds before cleared his throat. “So how’s the ground, Firefly?”

“Oh, you know, everything’s trying to kill us.”

He chuckled. “So, basically no different than the Ark?”

She laughed. “Yeah, but you don’t get arrested for breathing. Crime’s encouraged.”

He grinned before squinting at her curiously. “Say, Firefly,...have your friends...uhm...noticed…” He lowered his hands to his chest and made a cupping motion.

She laughed as her cheeks turned pink. “Yeah, they, uhm, noticed. Bell kinda freaked but the others accepted it, I guess.”

“Bet you’re popular with the boys, excuse me, your ‘friends’.” Her blush deeped and his jaw dropped. “Who? I bet it was Monty.” 

“I mean you’re not wrong…”

“That’s my boy!”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you teach my nerd how to flirt?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Yours? I’m hearing wedding bells already.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can we not talk about my love life?”

“Love?”

“Shut it, Kyle.”

“Make me. Oh wait you can’t because you’re on the ground! Suck it!”

“Not even in your dreams.” 

Octavia burst in the tent. “I need your help.” Orion took the headset off warily and stared at her in confusion. The younger girl handed her a small can and whispered in her ear. “I have a plan to free the grounder. Make sure everyone eats those and meet me back in the dropship.”

Ry nodded and Octavia hurried back outside. The blonde-streaked girl put the headset back on and Wick shook his head.

“Getting into trouble again, Firefly?”

She smiled. “When don’t I?” He grinned. “I’ll see you later, Wick.” 

“Ciao ciao.” 

The screen went black and Orion threw the headset off and rushed out to see a handful of delinquents wandering around in a daze. She looked down at the container uncertainly before dispersing the contents to the remaining sane teenagers. She’d emptied her container and was on her way to the dropship when Monty grabbed her shoulders and stared at her wildly.

“Uhm, hey, Monty.”

“Where’s the moon?”

“Uhm…” Her eyes landed on a tent that she’d been careful to avoid. “I think I saw it in there last.”

He let her go and raced into the tent. She grinned as Finn and Raven cried out in surprise and the blonde-streaked girl strolled into the dropship. She climbed the ladder to see Octavia unchaining the grounder.

Orion bit her lip. “Are you sure about this, O? Bell’s gonna find out and he’ll know it was you.”

Octavia grabbed a jacket and helped the man into it. “I’m not afraid of my brother.”

“Yeah, you really shouldn’t be. But why am I here?”

Octavia looked at the man hesitantly. “He wanted to talk to you.”

Ry’s eyebrows shot up and the man straightened his spine, watching her. “You do not know me. Yet you protected me from harm, you healed me, and you aid in my escape. Why would you do these things for a stranger?”

She stared at him in awe before shaking herself. “I believe all life is equally valuable. Bellamy needed to remember your life and mine are the same. My people were wrong in torturing you, and for that I apologize.”

He stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Thank you Orion kom Skaikru. How may I repay your kindness?”

She shook her head. “That’s not why I help people. But...I would like to know your name.”

“Lincoln.”

“You’re welcome Lincoln.”

The two stared at each other in equal admiration and Octavia cleared her throat. “We need to get him out of here before that nuts wear off.”

“I’ll make sure no one notices.” Orion nodded to the two before climbing back down the ladder and exiting the dropship.

“Ry!” Finn called her name and ran over to her. He grabbed her shoulders and searched her face before letting out a sigh of relief. “You’re okay.”

She blushed and looked around her. “Yeah, what happened to everyone?”

“I don’t know. I think it was something we ate.”

“Yeah, probably.” She took a step past him but he gripped her shoulder tighter.

“Do you know something, Mystery Girl?” He stared at her and she shook her head.

Before he could say anything, she looked over his shoulder. “I think I see Monty talking to a pinecone. Oh great now he’s eating it. I’m gonna go sort that out.” She gave him a tight smile before running to her friend and taking the pinecone.

She spent the rest of the night running around the camp, making sure the delinquents didn’t kill themselves. She’d just coaxed Lucifer away from starting a revolution with the trees when her stomach started to hurt and she leaned against one of the ginger’s rebels. Finn approached her, a sympathetic look on his face.

“C’mon, Blue Eyes, you deserve a break. We’ve got this covered. Most of them are starting to wake up anyway.” Finn smiled at her and she nodded. He tried to put his arm around her and she jerked back, resulting in her stumbling. Finn sighed. “Just this once, can you let your friend help you?”

She sighed and let his arm wrap around her waist. She leaned into his side and mumbled.“Friends don’t say I love you.”

He pulled his hand through his hair and turned her to face him. “I meant what I said. I really do think I love you. And I just get more sure every time I see you.”

“Yeah, well, I think you’re crazy.” She pulled out of his hold and stalked into her tent. He stared after her before going after a girl chasing invisible butterflies.

Orion stayed in her tent until shouts erupted around the camp. She watched from the entryway as Miller announced the missing grounder and Bellamy and Clarke appeared with guns. The crowd dispersed and Bellamy walked over to her.

She raised an eyebrow, noticing his disheveled hair and pale complexion. “You look like you saw some shit.” He scowled and she returned the expression as her eyes landed on the weapon behind him. “Really, Bell? Guns?”

“We need to protect ourselves. You may believe in peace, but they don’t. I won’t let us die because you’d rather live some fantasy.”

She sighed. “They’ll need to be trained.”

“Why do you think I’m here?”

“Bell, no-”

“You’re a good shot, and…” He drifted off as Octavia caught his attention.

Orion followed his gaze and sighed. “Are you two still being babies?” He glared at her and she nudged him towards his sister. “Go talk to her.”

“But she-”

“Loves you almost as much as you love her. Now go talk to her.” He smiled at her and grabbed a blanket before walking over to the brooding brunette.

Orion smiled as Bellamy wrapped a blanket around his sister’s shoulders before retiring to her tent.


	7. Friend, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Did the Party Go  
> Where Do Broken Hearts Go  
> Forest  
> Kiss Me Kiss Me  
> Drunk  
> Wake Me Up  
> A Love Like War  
> Sick Little Games  
> Time Bomb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very proud of my "hints" (They're song titles from artists I've already used) So you get two chapters at the same time because it was supposed to be one but I'm a wordy person. You almost got three (this is a lot longer than I'd planned but I'm too lazy to split and find another title). MY FAVORITE BAND'S ON TV. YES. Happy Eri. I'm making my sleeping dog dance and waiting for him to bite me.
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers  
> -Eri

Orion awoke to Jasper shaking her. “It’s Unity Day!” He smiled at her.

She groaned and rolled over. “Unity Day, like the cake, is a lie.”

“Shut up and come party.”

She flipped him off and he chuckled as he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the tent. She scowled and blew the hair out of her face as he dragged her to the center of camp where a small group had gathered to watch the Chancellor’s address. Orion rolled her eyes and went to lean against the dropship entrance. Finn walked to her side and she fought to keep her eyes trained on the monitor.

“Not a fan of Unity Day either?” The boy bumped her shoulder.

She furrowed her brow. “I’m surprised you’re not all over the ‘hopeful aspect’ everyone’s always raving about.”

“It’s a lie. It was all just senseless violence to make this so called ‘peace’ we have today.” He frowned at the image of the Chancellor and Orion nodded approvingly. He turned back to her. “So why are you watching?”

She nodded to the screen. “Graco should be there.” She smiled as a guard with short hair appeared in the background.

Finn squinted. “I think that’s the guy who arrested me and brought my meals up in Skybox.”

She nodded. “He was in charge of delinquents. That’s how I knew him.” His face softened as he stared at her. They locked eyes and Orion looked away, a blush creeping up her neck. “I think I’m gonna go see if Monty needs any help. No doubt he and Jasper have made some crazy concoction for today.” Finn looked to the ground and she hurriedly walked through camp, aware of Raven’s glare.

When she entered the tent, Ry was greeted with a hug from Jasper and a blushing Monty. Monty filled her a cup and, with her nod of approval, Jasper grabbed the still and ran outside with a triumphant shout.

Monty turned to her, a small smile playing on his lips. “Is now a good time to remind you?”

She took a sip from her cup and smiled. She turned as Jasper pushed the flap aside and set the still back down. She smiled at Monty. “Apparently not.”

Orion spent the day helping the two: gathering ingredients, offering suggestions, and taste testing until her nerves buzzed. Night fell and the three joined the other delinquents around the campfire at their Unity Day party. Orion found Lucifer and ran to her side.

“So, what did I miss?” She nudged the redhead and handed her a cup.

“Well, we lost communication with the Ark. Birdie thinks it's on their end but we don't know why. Bell’s surrounded the place with his minions for security. All kids that knew how to shoot before. He asked me and I told him to fuck off. Princess is getting her rocks off. And there's obviously trouble in paradise.” She nodded to Finn and Raven, who stood tensely next to each other. “I think that's about it. How was your day with the morons?”

She shrugged and took another swig as she stared across the fire at the couple. “Good. I think I was sober for maybe ten minutes but, hey, that's friendship with them.”

Luci grinned. “You've been spending a lot of time with Monty..”

The brunette blushed and swirled her drink. “Monty’s a nice guy.”

“He practically swoons whenever he sees you. Do you like him?”

She glanced to the aforementioned boy, who waved at her across the fire. She smiled and returned the gesture. “I mean, he's sweet, smart, and cute but…” Her eyes drifted over to Finn.

The redhead leaned in to Ry’s shoulder and followed her gaze. “But he's not Finn.”

Finn turned his head, locking eyes with the brunette, and smiled. Orion set her jaw and downed the rest of her drink. “All the better.”

She grabbed Lucifer’s wrist and dragged her over to Jasper and Monty. The boys greeted the girls with enthusiasm and invited them to join a game of drunkball. The group messed around, chatting and laughing as they played. Orion and Luci cheered triumphantly and highfived as the ginger emptied the last of their cups.

Jasper sighed. “That's not fair!”

“Don't hate the player, hate the game, Jas.” Luci grinned and hiccuped. “Or just don't play against the girl with wicked aim.”

Orion bowed and Jasper scoffed. “Please. Monty let her win because he has a crush on her.”

Monty punched Jasper’s arm and the taller boy yelped. Orion felt her face grow red as Luci mouthed an “I told you so” and pushed the brunette towards the boys. Jasper mimicked the motion on Monty until the blushing two bumped into each other.

Monty grinned and leaned his head down so his mouth was by her ear. “Can I cash in now? ‘Cause I'm kinda looking forward to that kiss if you don't mind.”

She raised an eyebrow as the musicians of the criminals began to beat on makeshift drums and sing rhythms and lyrics from the past. She smiled and held out her hand. “How bout a dance?”

He nodded and pulled her to the open area near the fire where the other delinquents had gathered for the same purpose. “Do you know how to dance?”

She laughed. “No. But shouldn't that make it more fun?”

He grinned at her and twirled her around. The two laughed and moved to the rhythm, not quite sure what they were doing but enjoying it all the same. Finn gritted his teeth as he watched them. The girl beside him rolled her eyes.

“I've had enough of this.”

Finn tore his eyes away and looked to Raven. “What?”

“ _This._ You pay more attention to her than you ever have to me, and the way you look at her… You've never looked at me like that.”

“Raven, it's not-”

“What it looks like? Because it looks to me like you're completely enamored with her.” Finn looked down at his feet. “If you can look me in the eye and honestly tell me she means nothing to you, I'll drop it and never bring it up again because _I love you_.”

He glanced to the blonde-streaked girl, noticing the way her eyes squeezed shut when she laughed and feeling a punch to his gut when he remembered it wasn't because of him, before turning his attention back to the ground. “I can't do that. I'm sorry, Raven, I love you, but-”

“But not like you love her.” Her face fell. “Then we’re done, Finn.” She pulled off her necklace and tossed it into the bushes before stalking into the tent designated as the armory.

Finn kicked at the ground before looking back to the fire. Movement caught his eye and he watched Octavia look around and sneak out of camp without anyone else’s notice. He stiffened and rushed to the girl he'd been watching all night. He caught Orion’s shoulder and turned her to him.

The smile faded from her face and she furrowed her brow. “Finn. What’re you-”

“Octavia just left. Alone.” He watched the color drained from her face.

She shook the haze from her head and blinked her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll be right there, uhm…” She turned to Monty, who was glaring at Finn. “I'm sorry, but-”

His face softened. “Yeah, I understand. It's O.”

She nodded and turned to follow Finn. The two rushed around camp for supplies, unnoticed by the drunken teens, and snuck past the similarly intoxicated ‘security’. Once they passed the gate, Finn dropped to the ground, searching for tracks. Orion mimicked him and searched the ground for oddities as the boy remained silent, absorbed in his work.

Ry cleared her throat. “Clarke’s gonna be pissed if she finds out her two ‘bedridden’ patients are out of camp.” Finn nodded and poked at the dirt. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Figured you’d freak out less than Bellamy.”

She frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“Nope. Everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”

“Finn-”

“I found something. She’s headed south.” He stood up and followed the tracks into the forest.

Orion followed him until the silence became too much and she grabbed his arm. “Finn, what's going on?” He looked at the ground and she turned him to face her. “Talk to me, Spacewalker.”

“Like you talked to me every time I asked?”

Her face fell. “What's your problem?”

“You! It's always you! I can't get you out of my head while _you_ go around pretending I don't exist! Pretending we never happened!”

“I don't-”

“Oh yeah? So what's up with you and Monty?”

“I’m allowed to hang out with my friends!”

“Friends! God, you've made me hate that word. Trust me, _he_ doesn't see you as a friend, and, while we’re on the topic _we_ are _not friends_!”

“Finn-”

“Friends don't do this.” He cupped her face and smashed his lips to hers. His hands tangled in her hair as hers hesitated before fisting his shirt, pulling him closer. The two broke apart for air and Finn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as his voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you still think we’re friends?”

Before she could answer, voices sounded from a few feet away. Finn pulled Orion to his chest and dropped to the ground, taking cover behind a bush. He breathed sharply and gripped his side. Ry’s eyes went wide and she pulled away from him.

“You’re hurt.” She pulled his shirt up to look at his stab wound and he caught her wrist.

“So are you.” He nodded to her stomach, which she’d unconsciously held. He grinned. “That grounder did a number on us.”

The voices crescendoed and Finn held a finger to his mouth. He peered through the foliage at two figures embracing.

He looked back to Ry, eyes wide, and whispered. “Octavia and the grounder.”

She sighed. “Of course it is.” She stood to her feet, catching the attention of the lovers.

Lincoln shoved Octavia behind him and brandished a knife. Orion raised her hands to show she was unarmed and he relaxed. Finn stood, copying the blonde-streaked girl’s actions, before walking to her side.

Lincoln looked at him warily and Orion spoke up. “Lincoln, this is Finn, the guy you stabbed. Finn, this is Lincoln.”

Finn smiled uncomfortably and gave an awkward little wave. “Hi. I think it's time we talked.”

Lincoln nodded and retreated into an opening in the earth, beckoning the others to follow. They entered a small room made from the ground, and Orion stared around in awe as Finn looked at her in admiration. Lincoln stared at the book warily.

“I trust him.” The two girls said in unison.

Lincoln nodded, his eyes still on Finn. “Why are you here?”

Finn took a deep breath and straightened his spine. “I want peace between our people.”

“After everything that's happened? We’ve killed your people, I stabbed you.”

“And we tortured you.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Not all of our people agreed with that. I know you want peace, you wouldn't have told them the antidote or blown the horn when we were under attack if you didn't, and I know there must be others like you. But if we don't do something now, we’re going to end up in a war.”

“I agree peace would be better than war, but I do not have that power.”

“Then bring me someone who does! They already started gathering weapons and in a few days, soldiers will be coming down from the sky. Soldiers that _will_ punish anyone who doesn't follow their laws.” The grounder still looked unconvinced. “Look, I want peace, but those people will start a war. If we don't act now, we’ll be forced to kill each other.”

Lincoln nodded. “Very well. We meet at the bridge. I bring me leader and you bring yours.”

Octavia shook her head. “Bellamy won't-”

“I don't mean your brother.” He looked to Orion.

Her eyebrows shot up. “Me? I'm not a leader. They won't even let me leave camp.” She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “It has to be Clarke.”

Finn nodded. “We’ll go get our leader. You get yours.” His hand found Ry’s and he led her out into the open air.

The two walked back to camp in silence until, at the gate, Finn pulled her to him. “Are we not gonna talk about how you knew the grounder’s name and that he speaks English?” She looked to the ground and he sighed. “I guess it's safe to assume we’re not going to talk about the kiss either?”

“Finn, we were drunk and pissed at each other-”

“How many excuses are you going to use before you realize it does mean something?”

She clenched her jaw. “How many excuses have you used to justify the fact that you already have a girlfriend?”

His eyes fell to the ground. “Not anymore.”

She froze. “Well...good for you or...bad for you, I guess.” She pulled away from him. “But this doesn't change anything.”

He nodded. “I figured it wouldn't.”

“You should go find Clarke.”

She walked into camp, quickly hiding among the groups of partying teens. She watched as Finn proposed the ideas to Clarke and the hesitant agreement. She furrowed her brows as Clarke walked away. She ducked in between the different groups, following the blonde. Clarke reached Bellamy and Orion creeped forward to hear their exchange.

“Finn’s set up a meeting with the grounders.”

Bellamy scoffed. “They’ll probably kill you.”

“I know, but it's worth a shot. I could use some backup, someone to follow us.”

He frowned. “You don't plan on telling Finn this do you.”

“What Finn doesn't know won't hurt him. And Bellamy, bring guns.”

He nodded and Clarke entered her tent. Orion waited for him to leave before sprinting back to the fire. She looked around and, upon spotting the shaggy-haired boy, she raced toward him.

“Finn!” She ran into him and his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist.

“Ry, what’s-”

“They're bringing guns.”

“What-”

“Clarke asked Bellamy to follow you two as backup and she told him to bring guns.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I don't know, just be on the lookout.”

She pulled away and he tightened his grip. “Come with me. You believe in peace more than I do and one already trusts you. You know how to talk to them.”

She shook her head. “I would if I could but you know they won't let me leave, _especially_ if grounders are involved And if we have to run, I'm pretty much screwed.”

He nodded and released her. “Then go get some rest.”

She turned and took a few steps before pivoting back to him. “Hey Finn? Stay safe.” He nodded and she retreated to her tent.

She stayed awake, staring at the top of her tent until her vision began to swirl and she pressed her palms into her eyes. A soft tap caused her to jump and she groaned. “Come in.” Finn pushed aside the flap of the tent and sat in the entrance. She sat up, confusion taking over her features. “You’re not real, are you?” He furrowed his brow and she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

He stiffened and she pulled away. “What was that-”

She flopped back down, talking into the furs beneath her. “Yeah, you’re real. If you were in my head, you’d have long hair.”

He grinned and ran his hands through her hair. “Then why did you kiss me?”

She shrugged. “I wanted to.” He raised an eyebrow.  “Why are you here?”

“I thought you’d want to know about the bridge meeting.”

“Well, you’re not dead so I’m assuming it went well.”

He shook his head and backed up. “No, but I’ll tell you later.”

She shook her head and reached out for his arm. “No. Stay and tell me about the thingy.”

He chuckled. “What happened to you?”

“I think we missed some of the drug nuts. Or this is the worst hangover of my life. But shhh. Bridge.”

He twirled the blonde streak around his finger. “Well, it was going fine, thought peace was actually possible, until Jasper freaked out and started shooting the grounders out of the trees.”

“Fucking jasshole.”

He smiled at her. “Yeah, then everyone was shooting and it was chaos. I’m glad you weren’t there.”

“Yeah, me too, sounds like a nightmare.”

“Lincoln got hit with an arrow-”

“Noooo…”

“-but I’m sure he’ll be fine. If we weren’t at war, we sure as hell are now.”

“That sucks.”

He chuckled. “I’m gonna go.”

She latched onto his arm. “No. Stay with me.”

“You’re intoxicated.”

“Don’t care.” He sighed and laid next to her. She snuggled into his chest as his arms wrapped around her and his chin rested on top of her head. She smiled. “You’re warm...and comfy.”

He laughed and they stayed silent for a few minutes before clearing his throat.“Hey, Ry?” She hummed. “Why do you only let me in sometimes?”

She giggled. “It’s easy to admit things when you’re drunk in the dark.”

He frowned and gave her hair a light tug. “You know what I mean.”

She sighed. “You scare the hell outta me, Finn.”

“What?”

“One day you’re gonna wake up and hate me like my parents, and it’s gonna hurt like hell when I lose you.”

He shook his head. “I could never hate you. I love you too much.”

She didn’t answer and Finn looked down to see her sound asleep, her fists curled in his shirt. He chuckled and brushed the hair out of her face before drifting off to the sound of her even breathing.

Orion awoke with a start as she became aware of arms around her, holding her to a warm cushion. She jerked back and stared wide-eyed as Finn groaned and pulled her back to his chest. She shook her head and pushed away.

“No no no no. Finn wake up.”

He groaned and opened his eyes. He smiled at her. “Hey, Blue Eyes, feeling better?”

“What the hell happened last night? Did we-” She looked down and gave a sigh of relief when she saw they were both clothed. “Oh thank god we didn’t sleep together.”

He smirked. “Well, technically we did.” She rolled her eyes and he frowned. “You were drunk, Ry, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Hey, Ry, a ship crashed and Raven-oh.” Monty popped his head in the tent and his face fell. “Sorry, didn’t realize I was interrupting.”

“Monty-”

“Raven wants you to help her search the crash site. Something about a black box.” He kept his eyes on the ground as he spoke, before retreating from the tent.

Finn watched the girl rub her face. “Told you.”

“Shut it, Collins, and get your ass out of my tent.”

“You sure? If I leave and people see me, well, they might come to some assumptions. I mean, I would much rather prefer, and this is just a suggestion, that just stay in here and-”

She laughed and gave him a shove to the exit before throwing her pack out. He grinned and stared at the tent.

“Hasn’t anyone ever taught you the rules of a hookup? You don’t leave at the same time.”

“One, that wasn’t a hookup. And two, I’m going to get changed, so we’re not leaving at the same time.”

“Wow, so she kicks me out and I miss the best part.”

“Sorry, but your hair has to be at least a foot long to enter.”

“I’ll work on growing it out.”

She laughed and put on a clean shirt before exiting the tent. Finn smiled at her.

“You look nice.”

“You mean slightly less dirty than before?”

“Just a little bit more beautiful.”

She blushed and looked to the ground, shaking her head and walking towards the center of camp to meet with the group. Raven noticed the two and a glare covered her face. Clarke called everyone to attention and led them into the forest. They soon came to a desolate area with body parts and pieces of the ship scattered around the ground. Clarke stared in horror and the rest of the group fanned out.

Raven cleared her throat and inspected part of the ship. “Okay, guys, we’re looking for a black box. We need to know why this thing crashed.”

Finn frowned and looked to Orion and Clarke before scowling at Raven. “They shouldn’t be out here. Clarke doesn’t need to see this. And Ry’s hurt.”

“Clarke needs answers and Ryan knows what to look for.”

The blonde-streaked girl raised an eyebrow. “It’s a _black box_ , Raven. I think a toddler would know what they’re looking for.”

“Well, at least we know you’re capable.”

Ry shook her head. “Are you really trying to start a fight with me over a boy?” Raven looked to the ground. “Because I have better things to do.”

“Like my boyfriend.”

“I’m not going to do this with you.” Orion walked away from the girl to a hunk of metal and began to examine it.

Finn shook his head and walked away from Raven, who looked at the ground guiltily. A pink substance caught her eye and she knelt to examine it.

“There’s hydrazine everywhere…” Raven shouted to the others. “Be careful not to touch it, but let’s see if we can collect it.”

Orion stood up and shook her head. “I know what you’re thinking Raven and it’s not going to end well.”

“Listen, Gandhi, grounders are going to kick our asses if we don’t protect ourselves.”

“We wouldn’t have that problem if you didn’t show up with guns to a _peace_ meeting.”

“They would’ve killed us!”

Lucifer stepped in between them. “Look, I’m enjoying this fight. Really, it’s entertaining. But can you geniuses explain to the rest of us what this stuff does.”

“It’s explosive.”

“It can be used to make a bomb with gunpowder.” Orion crossed her arms and stared down the other girl.

“Oh.” The ginger looked at the ground and stepped away from the substance and stood next to Ry. She leaned into her friend’s shoulder and giggled. “I hope she blows up.”

Orion shook her head and Bellamy made his way over with containers, causing her to scowl. He shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, Ry, but we need it.”

She rolled her eyes and continued searching for the box. Monty held it up triumphantly, earning cheers from the teens. Orion volunteered to go back to camp with him and decipher the message, leaving the others to collect the chemical. The two worked on the device throughout the day and into the night, all the while maintaining minimal communication in the cramped space of the tent.

Orion rubbed her eyes and Monty looked at her sympathetically. “You should get some rest, Ry. When’s the last time you had a good night’s sleep?”

“When I was a baby.” He frowned at her and she shook her head. “It’s not a big-” Shouts sounded outside and she shrugged. “Looks like none of us get a nice eight hours. Keep working on the box, I’ll go see what’s going on.”

Ry walked outside to see a group of teens carrying what appeared to be a body into the dropship. She furrowed her brow and followed the group inside. The teens dispersed and her jaw dropped as she recognized the bloodied boy.

“Murphy?”

He looked up at her and gave her a wry grin and a salute.

Octavia turned to Orion. “We found him like that outside the gate. We need to help him.”

The blonde-streaked girl nodded. “Go get Clarke.” She knelt in front of the boy. “What happened to you?”

“Our favorite neighbors decided I should stay for a sleepover and things got kinky.”

She shook her head. “Well we’re gonna fix you up, o-”

Orion was knocked to the ground as someone rushed past her to the boy. She looked up to see a redhead embracing him. Murphy sighed and buried his face in the girl’s neck.

“Hey, Lu.”

She pulled away from him. “Jonathan Murphy. Don’t you ever leave again. You had me worried sick.”

“Love you too, Lu.” He grinned at her and her face softened. She cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. They broke apart, smiles on their faces. Murphy twirled a strand of her hair. “So does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?”

She pecked his lips again. “I’m always mad at you. You aren’t exactly likeable.”

“But I’m lovable.”

Lucifer chuckled lightly as she finally took in the appearance of the boy. “No, you're hurt. Murphy, what the hell?”

He sighed. “The grounders got me. Stuck me in a cage for weeks, roughed me up a bit.” She frowned and he tilted her chin until they locked eyes. “Hey, I got a few hits in. Don't worry about me, Red, I'm alright, I'm _here_ now.” She nodded and gave him a soft smile. “Anyway, one day I think they forgot to lock the cage and I just kinda ran out. I got lost in the forest for a few days and then you guys found me.”

Orion squinted at him. “They just let you go?”

He shrugged. “Maybe they got bored when I stopped screaming.”

The brunette looked down at her hands. “Then you got lucky.”

She stood and went to get a bucket of water. She returned and handed a cloth to Luci, who immediately began to wash the blood and muck from his face. Orion was checking some of the deeper gashes when Octavia returned with Clarke. Orion explained the situation to the blonde, who nodded and set to work on the boy.

Clarke had covered most of his wounds, when one of the boys that had carried Murphy in dropped to the floor and began to shake. The room filled with panic as the boy coughed up blood and eventually stilled. They all froze and, one by one, Murphy’s rescue team began to cough.

Clarke turned to the boy, her eyes flashing with anger. “What did you do?”

He stared around him, wide-eyed. “I didn't do anything. I-” He coughed into his sleeve.

“You’re not fooling anyone, Murphy, now tell me how to stop it.”

He calmed and showed her his sleeve, stained red. “You think this is fake?” Lucifer began to cough and his eyes went wide. “Please, I would never do anything to hurt her. You have to believe me.” Clarke stared at him warily before nodding. “Now do your job and help her!”

Clarke rushed to the ginger and called to Orion for water. The brunette complied and the two aided the sick girl. Orion stared around the room, analyzing the sick.

“Everyone with symptoms either touched Murphy...or someone who did.”

Clarke looked up from her patient. “You think it’s spread through contact?” Ry nodded. “Then we need to set up a quarantine.”

The brunette stood and gathered the ill into the dropship, allowing Clarke to check everyone for symptoms. Bellamy rushed in the dropship, and the two girls screamed at him to stay back.

“What's going on?”

Orion shook her head and pressed a cloth to a girl’s forehead. “Quick summary: Murphy’s back from grounder vacation and he brought a virus that spreads through contact. So you can't punch him.”

“What do we do?”

She shrugged. “Everyone needs to get checked by Clarke-she’ll have to be careful not to spread it-and then we quarantine those with symptoms and people that we know have had contact.”

His eyes narrowed. “You touched him, didn't you?”

“So did O.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I'm gonna kill them.”

“Bell, that's not the answer.”

“What else would you call this besides an act of war?” She looked down. “I'm going to Raven.” She remained silent, dabbing at her patient’s forehead. Bell sighed. “How you holding up?”

“Octavia and I haven't shown any symptoms, but we both touched Murphy. Some of the others are like that, but it's rare. I think we might be immune.”

“Where is O?”

She bit her lip. “In a safe place.”

“Asher, if she’s with that thing-”

“He trusts her and we need information. And I trust him.” He kicked at the wall and she moved on to the next patient. “Get out of here before you catch it.” He glared at her and stomped outside as Octavia burst in.

“It's biological warfare. They release the disease to weaken the battlefield and then attack the next day.”

Bellamy nodded. “Time for Plan B. We’ll be ready for them.” He looked to his sister. “Stay here.”

Octavia rolled her eyes and began tending to the teens.

Orion’s time alternated between caring for the sick and supplying the ward with water. The room filled as more and more caught the virus. She nearly ripped her hair out when Clarke got too sick to help, but Murphy stood from his corner and began rounds among the teens.

Lucifer began to cough violently and he rushed to her side. He hurriedly rolled her to her side and rubbed her back as she heaved. He laid his head on her shoulder.

“I'm so sorry, Lu.”

She wiped her mouth and turned to look at him. “For what? You didn't know.”

“I shouldn't have come back.”

“Bullshit. If you didn't come back, I would've gone out there to find you and kick your ass.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “I just wanted to see you, and now you’re… I'm so sorry Luce.”

She smiled and grabbed his hand. “I'm not. Because even if I die today, I got to see you.”

“Since when are you so sappy?”

She hit his arm. “I've been thinking you're dead for weeks. But I couldn't be sure so there was always this hope you’d come back and when you didn't…”

He kissed her cheek. “I'm here now. And I'm not leaving. Even if Bellamy has to drag me out himself.”

“And you're calling me sappy.” She stared at him. “Tell me a story.”

“So you're five now?”

“Yes. Tell me something from when you were gone. It couldn't have been all bad.”

“You don't wanna know about that.”

“Don't tell me what to do.” She grinned at him. “Just tell me a story, Murph, I'm bored.”

“Ok, fine. How about this one I heard up on the Ark?” She nodded and moved to get comfortable. He laughed and twisted her hair. “Okay… There once was a little prince…”

Orion shook her head and smiled before pulling her shirt over her mouth and walking outside for water. She filled the bucket and began to walk back when her ribs started to ache. She clutched at her stomach and fell to her knees, the water sloshing around her.

“Fuck.”

“Orion!” Finn raced toward her and knelt beside her, cupping her face and his eyes searching wildly. “Are you sick?”

She shook her head and knocked his hand away. “You can't touch me. I could carry the virus and not show symptoms.”

He set his jaw. “I don't care.”

“Now would be a stupid time to be romantic.”

He smiled. “Well we can't all be geniuses like you.”

He picked her up and she instinctively gripped him tighter. He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes.

“Finn, I'm fine.”

“Then why were you on the ground, Blue Eyes? Do you like it down there?” He winked at her and she smacked his chest. His face softened. “It's the bruise again, isn't it?” She nodded. “Remind me to kill Bellamy.” He carried her into the dropship and set her down next to one of the patients.

“If I wanted him dead I would've done it myself.” The teasing left her voice and the color drained from her face as she stared down at her hands.

He tapped her chin and she looked up at him. “I don't think of you any differently because of your past. Your dad was a dick and if I could, I'd beat him to a pulp.”

“But you wouldn't kill him.”

“Neither would you.” He brushed the hair out of her face. “Take a break. I'll help for awhile.”

“You'll get sick.”

“Then I can spend more time bugging you.” He grinned at her and Bellamy’s head poked in from the door.

“It's time, Finn.” He nodded to Orion before disappearing again.

She tilted her head. “What was that about?” He looked to the ground. “Finn.”

He sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. “The bomb’s done. I volunteered to plant it on the bridge.”

Her face morphed with horror and she backed away. “You agreed to murder?”

“Hey, don't look at me like that, Blue Eyes, you've got it all wrong. I volunteered so it will _only_ take out the bridge and slow down the grounders. Bellamy wanted to use it to trap as many as possible and blow them up.”

“But what if you get hurt?”

He curled the blonde streak around his finger. “Figured it was worth the risk.” He looked back to the door. “I have to go.”

She nodded. “Be careful. Don't get blown up, or shot, or stabbed.”

He chuckled and kissed her forehead before walking outside. A few minutes later, Bellamy ran in, clutching his nose. Orion shot to her feet and pushed the man down in her spot. He groaned and laid back.

She laughed as she pressed a cloth to his forehead. “I told you you would catch it.”

“Not helping Asher.”

She grinned at him and helped him drink from a cup. She stayed by his side, the others having recovered, until he claimed to feel better. He dragged her outside to watch for the mushroom cloud, the sign of their success. A group formed in the center of camp and a cheer rang out as the cloud appeared on the horizon. Orion stayed silent and Bellamy turned to her.

“I'm sure Lover Boy’s okay, Ry.”

“I'm sure anyone on the bridge isn't.”

“It was the only way.” She shook her head and retreated back to the dropship.

She wrung out a rag and began to wipe up some of the blood and vomit. She supplied the few still sick with new rags and cups of water, careful not to trip over the dead. Cheers erupted from outside and Finn rushed in, a pale Raven in his arms.

“Ry, she has it. I don’t know what to do.”

The brunette nodded and pointed to a clean space. Finn set her down and Orion shooed him to go fetch more water. She placed a cloth on Raven’s forehead and the girl stirred. Her eyes opened and she stared at Orion.

She sneered. “I don't want any help from you.”

Orion sighed. “Well I won't let you die.” Ry tried to wipe the sweat from the girl’s brow but she jerked back. “Can you grow up for five minutes or do I really have to go get Clarke?” The girl looked down and allowed the blonde-streaked girl to aid her. “I won't do this petty shit with you. You _were_ my friend, and if you want to destroy that over a boy, then fine, do whatever you like. But I don't think it's worth it.”

“I love him. He's all I have.”

“And that's why I told him to choose you. But it's Finn’s choice.”

Raven stared at her in shock and offered no argument against Orion’s help.

“Your fever’s gone down. You should sleep.”

Raven nodded and Finn returned to the room. He handed Ry the water and took his place beside Raven.

“How is she?” He looked down at the tan girl with a certain tenderness that sent a pang to Orion’s chest.

She swallowed and smiled. “I'm hoping she’ll be back to normal by morning.”

Finn beamed and turned to look at her. “Go to bed, Mystery Girl. You’ve been working your ass off since we got here.”

She nodded and nearly ran out of the room.

“Orion.” The blonde-streaked girl stopped at the door and turned around. Raven gave her a small smile. “Thank you.”


	8. Warriors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Guess who"  
> "Oh, I think you know"  
> "Maybe you're a mutant"  
> "Twice"  
> "Really?"  
> "Ry-"  
> "Please"  
> "I know"  
> "Yeah?"  
> "Orion..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially given up on summaries and notes. And this is a little bit (okay a lotta bit) longer than I expected but I gave Z permission to slap me if I split this soooo...... (also titles are hard). My dog just tried to bite me because I wanted to cuddle so now I'm curled in a ball in my bed so he can't hurt me. Pretty sure he feels guilty now :P Also, fair warning I have been told by Z some parts will just hurt and you won't know why. Enjoy :)
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers  
> -Eri

Orion blew on the arrowhead and inspected it. She huffed and dragged her knife across the stone. She stared at it and pressed her finger to the tip, drawing a small speck of blood. She gave a satisfied smile and wiped her hand before dropping the weapon in a pile at her feet and picking up another stone. Two hands covered her eyes and she stiffened.

“Guess who.” Finn grinned into her ear.

She hummed, unable to contain her smile. “Definitely Luci.”

Laughing, he uncovered her eyes and turned her chin to face him. “You suck at this game.”

“Never was a fan of games.” 

“God, you must’ve been a boring kid.” She looked away and he cleared his throat, letting go of her chin to sit in front of her. “So where’ve you been, Blue Eyes? I haven’t seen you in days. Was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

She smirked and drew her knife on the rock. “Don’t take it personally, I’ve been avoiding everyone.”

His face fell. “What’s wrong, Ry?” She rolled her eyes and stood up as Finn jumped up to catch her wrist. “Orion, tell me.”

She blew the hair from her face. “Jasper killed people without any regrets. Bellamy set up this whole bomb operation. Luci’s stuck up Murphy’s ass. Monty runs out of the room before I can talk to him. And you,..”

“What?”

“I don’t think I can handle heartbreak twice in one week.” 

His brow furrowed as she pulled her arm from his grasp. “Ry, what-”

Screams erupted across camp and the two turned to see flames licking the sky. Orion ran towards camp, with Finn following close behind. She stared as the fire consumed the smokehouse. She shook off the daze as Octavia stumbled from the destruction. She rushed to her friend, supporting the girl as they retreated to safety.

Octavia coughed as Orion set her down and knelt to her level. “O, is anyone else in there?” She nodded and Ry raced back as Murphy and Del clamored from inside. She grabbed Murphy’s shoulder and he looked at her. “Anyone else?” He shook his head. She let him go and turned to the growing audience, cupping her hands around her mouth. “If you’re not hurt, get water and stop it from spreading.”

The teens burst into action, racing into the water tent. The fire was distinguished within minutes and they let out a celebratory yell, gaining Bellamy’s attention from inside his tent. 

“What the hell happened?”

“ _ He  _ stoked the fire too high.” Murphy growled and lunged toward Del. The two broke out into a fight, which was quickly stopped by Bellamy.  

Bell sighed and looked at the destruction. “It’s all gone, isn’t it?” Orion nodded and he groaned. “Okay...uhm...” He yanked at his hair and looked around. “Some need to stay and rebuild. Anyone else we can spare hunts.”

Teams split off to do their tasks. Orion looked around and saw Murphy struggling to pick up a giant log. She shook her head and walked over to him.

“What are you doing?”

“Jacking off. What does it look like I’m doing? I’m helping.” He returned his attention to the log and muttered under his breath. “And they say you’re the smart one.”

She rolled her eyes. “Looks like you’re doing a bang up job.” He growled and she moved his hands from the log, causing him to wince. “You’re burnt, Murphy. You need treatment.”

“I’m not going anywhere near that blonde bitch.”

“Then let me do it.” He looked at her warily and trudged over to a seat. “Is that a yes?”

“It’s a ‘you’re not gonna leave me alone so might as well’.” She smiled and ran into Clarke’s tent before returning with the necessary materials. He stared into the forest as she applied medicine and wrapped his hands in bandages. “Why do you keep helping me?” 

She shrugged. “My friend is in love with you. Personally, I’m not your biggest fan, but Luci’s already been through so much.”

He scoffed. “Lu doesn’t love me.”

“Oh, she’ll never admit it. So don’t tell her I told you or she might kill me.” She gave him a wry smile and returned to Clarke’s tent. 

When she exited, the boy had a ginger wrapped in his arms. She shook her head and returned to her arrowheads. As she worked, hunting teams began to form around her, many stopping to ask for arrows. Finn picked one up and tapped her on the head. 

He grinned as she looked up at him. “There’s my Mystery Girl.” She looked back down at the arrowhead in her lap and he sat down with a groan. “Look, I know you’re mad at me. I’m not sure why...but I guess I’m sorry for existing?” She bit her lip to mask her smile and he chuckled. “Your smile’s almost as cute as your blush.”

Her cheeks tinted pink as she shoved at his chest. “Shut up.”

He grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers. “Only if you forgive me.” She raised an eyebrow. “Or at least tell me what I did. Because this is very confusing.” She looked away and he sighed, reaching into his pocket. “Well, I made you something. But you have to close your eyes.”

“Maybe I don’t want it.”

“Just play along.”

She complied with a sigh and felt a small pressure around her neck. She opened her eyes and saw a small blue stone in the shape of a star attached to a cord. She twirled the ornament and looked back up at Finn, who was watching her in quiet anticipation. 

“Thank you.”

He smiled. “Tell me what’s wrong, Mystery Girl.”

“Ry!” The two turned to see Bellamy approaching. “Ry, I need you to do me a favor.” 

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not going to like it, am I?”

He sighed. “I need you to train some of these people to fight.”

She scowled. “No.”

“Look, I know you’re all hugs and kisses, but we’re at war, and none of them are soldiers.”

She pushed her hands through her hair. “They’re not going to listen to me, Bell.”

“If I tell them to, they will.” She shook her head. “Asher, they’re all going to die if someone doesn’t teach them, and you’re the best.”

She sighed and stood to her feet. “Fine. But on one condition.” 

“Anything.”

“They won’t follow me unless they know I’m capable, and they think you’re Mr. Indestructible.”

“What are you getting at?”

She grinned. “Oh, I think you know.” 

He paled and nodded, grabbing the girl’s arm and dragging her to the center of camp. A line of ten boys stood near the fire, eyeing her with disdain.

Bellamy dropped her arm and puffed out his chest. “Recruits, this is your new instructor.”

They sneered and Miller stepped up. “What does she know? Look, Bellamy, we’re telling you, you’re our best option.”

Orion rolled her eyes and turned to Bellamy. “I told you.”

Bellamy huffed, sending a glare to the girl before returning his attention to the line of boys. “As much as I hate saying it, I can assure you she is.”

Miller crossed his arms over his chest. “Prove it.”

The area around Bellamy and Orion cleared, a wide circle forming. Orion smirked up at him. 

“If you go easy on me because I’m a girl-”

“Shut up Ryan and let’s see what you’ve got, unless those three years in lockup made you rusty.”

She scowled and motioned for him to make a move. He shrugged and threw a punch. She caught it and flipped him over her shoulder. The crowd let out a gasp as Bellamy smacked into the ground.

Orion stood above him. “Get up, Blake. We’re not done.”

He struggled to his feet. “I think you’ve made your point.”

“I think you’re going easy on me.”

He groaned and charged at her. Her foot wrapped around his ankle and jerked back, causing Bellamy to smack to the ground with a thud. 

She set her hands on her hips and looked at the gasping boy in disapproval. “This isn’t even a fight. What the hell happened to you after you got kicked out?”

He coughed. “What the fuck happened to you in prison?”

She shrugged and stalked around him. “I got bored. A guard was one of my best friends. And I have a lot of pent up rage. Now, get up and  _ seriously  _ fight me.” She held out her hand and pulled him up.

“You first.”

She shrugged and landed a punch on his jaw. He stumbled back but caught her arm, pulling it behind her. His free arm went around her front, pressing into her neck. Her head jerked back, hitting his nose, and he let go of her. She spun around and kneed him in the stomach.

He fell to the ground with a groan. “Okay, we’re done.”

“Sissy.” 

“Hey, I still have to go hunting.”

She grinned and helped him to his feet. “Are the little bunnies gonna rough you up, too?” He chuckled and mussed her hair before retreating to the edge of the crowd. She turned to the shocked recruits, her arms folded. “So who’s next?” The boys exchanged uncertain looks as they kept their heads down. “Miller! I owe you a beating, don’t I? You’re up.”

The boy stepped forward, a smug look on his face, which quickly disappeared when he landed on his back. 

Orion pushed the hair from her eyes. “Yeah, you guys need some work.”

Bellamy called the hunting parties to move out and Finn stopped the man in his tracks. The younger boy glanced toward Orion in shock. “She’s all about peace, so how does she…”

Bellamy shrugged. “Ry’s a lot of things but she’s the best soldier.” He walked past the boy before turning back. “Oh, hey, I think Clarke was looking for a tracker.” The boy nodded and Bell exited the camp. 

Finn continued to watch the blonde-streaked girl for a few minutes before going off in search of Clarke. Orion sighed as she flipped the last of the recruits to the ground. 

“Okay, how about knife throwing? Have any of you ever thrown a knife?” A few nodded. “With accuracy?” They shook their heads and she pulled at her hair. “Jesus, Bell stuck me with the rejects.”

Lucifer ran up to the brunette and tugged at her arm, nodding to a spot by the fire. “You’ve been at it for at least an hour and we need to talk.”

The brunette nodded and turned back to her trainees. “Okay. Take a short break, and after that, practice throwing. Space out. Don’t kill each other. I’ll be right back.” They cheered and scrambled to the water tent as Ry let the redhead drag her to a seat.

Luci nodded for Ry to sit and immediately stood behind her and pulled the dark locks out of the girl’s face. “How the hell do you see, let alone fight, with this in your eyes?” 

Orion shrugged as the girl twisted the strands into a braid. “What did you want to talk about?”

“What did you say to Murphy?”

Ry bit her lip. “Why?”

“He’s been following me around like a puppy since this morning.”

“Probably because it’s the first time you haven’t been attached at the tongue since he got here.”

Lucifer gave a sharp pull to the hair, causing Orion to yelp. “Fuck off, I haven’t seen him in months.” She finished the braid and plopped down next to her friend. “So you didn’t say anything to him?” Before Orion could answer, Lucifer’s eyes landed on the stone around her neck. The ginger fiddled with the charm. “Where’d you get that?”

Orion felt her face burn. “Uhm, Finn made it for me.”

“So what? Tinkerbell gives you the second star to the right and now you’re not mad at him anymore?” Luci searched her friend’s face. “Why were you mad at him anyway?” Orion sighed and kicked at the ground, and understanding dawned on the redhead’s face. “Raven?”

“He still loves her.”

“Did that bastard actually tell you-”

“He didn’t have to. It’s written all over his face.”

“So badass Orion Asher is jealous? Over a human puppy?”

“No. I guess I’m just an all-or-nothing type of person.”

Lucifer stared at her friend, unconvinced. “I don’t think-”

“Hey, Lu.” Murphy sat behind the redhead, his arms wrapping around her torso as he rested his chin on top of her head. He kissed her hair before dropping his head down to her shoulder. “How are you this small? I’m pretty sure it’s not natural.”

“Murph-”

“Maybe you’re a mutant.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Yes and you’re adorable.” He laughed and buried his face in her neck.

She squirmed and tried to pry his arms from around her as he tightened his hold. “Stop being an ass.”

“Shhh I know you love me.”

“Wha-”

“Your friend told me.” His eyes fluttered shut as the ginger stiffened and turned to her friend that had left during the couple’s conversation.

“Orion!”

The brunette laughed and ran back over to the waiting trainees. “Sorry, Luci, but I have a job to do.” The ginger glared and returned her attention back to the boy on her shoulder. 

Orion continued to work with the recruits, spending the night throwing knives, correcting their fighting techniques, and experimenting in archery. Her eyes routinely darted to the camp’s entrance, watching as the hunting parties returned. She frowned whenever she noticed Finn was not among them. Night fell, and the pit in her stomach grew. She dismissed the growing group of delinquents and rushed to Bellamy’s tent.

She froze as Raven exited the tent, her hair a mess and clothes slightly askew. Orion kept her gaze to the ground and waited for the girl to enter the dropship before walking to the tent.

“Knock, knock. Please don’t be naked.” She called in a sing-song voice as she pushed the material aside. Bellamy glared at her and she smirked. “You know, I always thought it would be Clarke in your tent.”

“Raven needed to move on.”

“And you’re just the fuckboy for the job.”

“What do you want?”

“Finn and Clarke haven’t come back yet.”

“Worried about your boyfriend?”

“Our best tracker and one of our leaders are missing while we’re at war with the grounders. I think we should  _ all _ be a little worried. And we all know you’re in love with Clarke, Bell.”

He sighed. “Fine. I’ll get a search party together. Good test for Raven’s new walkies anyway.”

“When do we leave?”

“You’re staying here. You’re hurt-”

“I’m fine.”

“You still need to train-”

“Let ‘em off for the night. They’re nowhere near perfect but they’re better than they were this morning.”

“Ry, I’m not letting you go out there.”

“You’re right, Bell, you’re not  _ letting  _ me do anything ‘cause you’re not the boss of me.”

She turned to leave the tent when he caught her elbow. “Ry, listen to me. I need you to stay here and make sure the  _ criminals _ you just taught to fight don’t get out of control. They’ll follow you, pretty sure they’re scared not to.”

“Why can’t I leave?”

“We can’t risk losing our best fighter before a war.” 

She sighed. “Give me a walkie.”

He nodded and she turned to leave the tent. “And Ry? Any chance you could make a few more bows? And arrows?”

She left the tent, flipping him off over her shoulder. “Whatever the hell you want, Your Highness.”

Ry returned to her task from the morning, tossing a stone between her hands. Bellamy handed her a walkie before leaving her with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. She worked through the night, trying to lose herself in the mindless tasks, but the walkie continued to draw her back, widening the pit in her gut with every report of her friends’ continued absence. Her heart grew lighter with the discovery of Myles and sunk to her toes when Monty went silent.

Orion met the search party at the gate, her arms folded and barely containing her fury.

Bellamy sighed. “Ry-”

“You left them there to die.” Bellamy looked to Raven and Octavia, who dragged Myles into the dropship.

“We needed to get Myles back.”

“One of you! You just gave up on Clarke and Finn! And Monty!”

“We don’t even know if they’re alive. We have to accept the possibility-”

“No.  _ I  _ have hope.”

“We need to take care of those we still have.”

She turned sharply on her heel and stormed into the dropship. She treated the unconscious young boy in silence, grateful for the distraction. She almost tuned out the the orders for landmines, Bellamy’s insane screeches, and the wary murmurs as the delinquents passed by. At some point in the night she fell asleep, only to be awoken by the early light of dawn peeking through the tarp and the soft whimpers of her patient. She jolted into action, caring for the boy. A cough startled her and she turned to see Bellamy.

“Mornin’.”

She scowled. “Landmines? Really?”

“We need to take care of our own.”

“No. You take care of your own and I'll take care of mine.” She she turned to the boy. “I can't safely remove the arrows. He’ll want water when he wakes up.”

“Ry-”

She brushed past him into the open air. Her trainees were lined up, throwing knives and waiting for her. She sighed and raked her hand through her hair, small strands escaping from the braid. 

She worked with them for about an hour before Bellamy came out of the dropship and tried to talk to her. She ignored him and resumed her work, until, minutes later, the dropship door closed, alerting the attention of the teenagers. Some of them banged on the door, but to no avail.

Orion motioned to the recruits to break and walked over to the metal structure in confusion. “Who’s in there?” 

Bellamy stood by her side, equally intrigued. “Last I checked it was just Myles and Jasper.”

“You think they would shut the door?” He shook his head, a wary look in his eye,  and she stared at the metal curiously. She sighed. “We need to get in there. Myles will need medicine again soon.” Her eyes darted around the campsite, scanning for hints. Realization hit and she turned to the man. “Do you think Jasper would still have his walkie?”

“I mean, probably. Why?”

“Do you have yours?” He nodded and handed her the device. She fiddled with the walkie until it emitted a soft hiss of static. “ Let’s hope Jas uses his big brain for once.” 

A group formed as they waited with baited breath as the minutes dragged by like hours. Several pressed their ears against the metal to listen for sounds of a struggle. Moments later, Murphy’s muffled voice sounded from the device in Orion’s hand. She jumped and hurriedly messed with the knobs until the sound became clearer. They listened raptly as Murphy admitted the murder of Myles and Connor and his plan for revenge. Raven joined the group, picking up pieces of the story as she made her way to the front. 

“Are we just going to leave them in there?”

Orion shook her head and tore her eyes away from the shelter. “Raven! Oh, thank god.” The mocha-skinned girl raised an eyebrow at Ry. “Listen, there’s a panel on the back. I’ve used it, so it should be a little loose, but you’ll still need a wrench.” She patted her pockets and sighed as they were empty.

“Why don't you do it?”

“There should be a control station inside. You might need to reroute the wiring but I think you can open the door from there. I'm good with mechanics but not like you are.”

Raven nodded. “Back panel. Wrench. Control. Got it.” She darted off as the group returned their attention to the dropship. A gunshot echoed from inside and Bellamy snatched the walkie from Orion.

“Murphy! If you hurt him, I’ll string you up all over again!”

Ry’s eyes widened and she lunged for the device that had suddenly gone silent. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?! He knows now! You just put Jas in even more danger!” She punched the man in the shoulder and raised the radio to her mouth.

“Murphy, let him go. He’s done nothing to you.”

Bellamy grabbed the radio from her and held it out of her reach. “She’s right, Murphy. I know I’m the one you want.”

The radio crackled with static for a few seconds before Murphy’s voice sounded from the small black box. “Yeah. So?”

“So let’s make a trade. You let Jasper out and I’ll come in. Unarmed. Alone.” Orion jumped to reach the radio and Bellamy pushed her away. Static sounded as Bellamy clenched his jaw. “Going once.” The silence continued. “Twice.”

“Ten seconds.”

The door began to open and Bellamy handed the walkie and his gun to the blonde-streaked girl beside him. 

She gaped at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Protecting my own.”

“Bellamy, this is even more stupid than usual.”

“I've got this under control.” 

The door fully opened, and Jasper stumbled out. The barrel of a gun peeked out from the cloth over the door, and Bellamy gulped before strolling inside, the door immediately closing behind him. Orion rushed to Jasper’s side, her eyes darting in search of wounds. 

“Did he hurt you?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m fine, Ry. Now how can I help?”

“Uhm, I sent Raven to the lower level to get the door open-there’s a loose panel on the back-she might need help.”

He nodded and disappeared behind the back. The brunette returned her gaze to the dropship, white-knuckling the walkie that had gone eerily silent. Octavia pushed through the crowd and stood beside her.

“Hey. We just finished digging foxholes in the north field and need Bell to check-why is everyone…” She looked around at the crowd of teens. “What’s going on?”

“Murphy lost it and your idiot brother’s trying to be a hero.”

Octavia grabbed her friend’s arm, turning the girl to face her. “Ry-”

“I'm trying to get him out, O. Just trust me.”

Murphy’s voice crackled through the radio in her hand. “I'm going to make you feel the same pain I did.” 

Bellamy’s calm voice sounded in the background and the two girls let out sighs of relief. Orion’s hand shook as she fumbled with the knobs and raised the device to her lips.

“Murphy, let him go. You don’t want to do this.”

“You don’t know me.”

“No. But I know what it’s like to feel your lungs screaming for air, to know the person killing you is enjoying it.” She took a shaky breath. “Trust me. Revenge isn’t the answer.  _ Becoming them  _ isn’t the answer.”

He chuckled darkly. “Look at that. The murderer preaches against killing.” His laughter verged on maniacal. “Look,  _ you  _ may be able to forgive your torturers and believe in this ‘life is precious’ shit but I-”

“I’m not like this because someone tried to take my life. I’m like this because I took someone else’s.” Her voice wavered and she bit her lip. “I still remember what my father’s blood felt like...what his screams sounded like...how his eyes looked as I watched the life drain from them…my mother’s sobs as she watched the love of her life die. Yeah, they were awful people, but...sometimes the freedom isn’t worth the nightmares.”  

“I’m not like you.”

She gave a dry laugh. “No, but you’re not heartless, Murphy. You wouldn’t love Luci if you were. It’s never gonna leave you.”

He growled and ordered Bellamy to tie a noose. Orion picked up a rock and threw it against the dropship, a strangled scream leaving her throat as she dropped to the ground in frustration. A redhead girl pushed through the crowd and knelt beside the girl, shaking the brunette’s shoulders. 

Orion looked up, her eyes widening in surprise. “Luci-”

“What the hell is going on?” Lucifer looked between the dropship and the crowd in confusion.

“Your  _ boyfriend _ is trying to kill my brother.” Octavia snarled and crossed her arms.

The ginger’s face fell. “Murph wouldn’t-” She looked to Orion. “Is he?” The blonde-streaked girl nodded. “Can I talk to him?”

Ry held out the walkie. “I don’t think you’ll want to.”

Luci held the device for a few seconds, Murphy’s orders for Bellamy’s hanging penetrating the tense silence. She swallowed and spoke into the black box. “Murphy?”

The boy froze in the middle of telling Bellamy to jump off a box. “Lu?”

“Murphy, don’t do this. This isn’t like you.”

“I have to do this, Lu. He tried to kill me. I can’t just-”

“John, I love you, but this…” She ran a hand through her hair. “You need to let him go.”

“I’m sorry, Luce.” He mumbled. There was a short scraping sound and Bellamy’s choked cries filled the air. 

Octavia screamed and ran to the door, her fists pounding against the metal. Orion yelled for Jasper and Raven as the door creaked and slowly inched open. The teenagers threw themselves to the floor as gunshots exploded inside the dropship. They cautiously lifted their heads and creeped inside, finding Bellamy gasping for air on the floor. Orion and Octavia rushed to his side, pulling the rope from his neck and checking for injury. He coughed and sat up.

“Murphy.” He tried to stand up as Ry held him down. “He’s up there.”

Her eyes wandered to the rope. “Did he cut you down?” Bellamy fought against her as Lucifer pounded on the hatch, screaming for Murphy to open it.

An explosion shook the ship and Orion leaned over Bellamy to protect him from the falling rubble. The dust cleared and they coughed, raising their heads warily. Bellamy broke free from the girl and rushed up the ladder, with Ry on his heels. They gaped at the tattered hole of metal revealing the outside. Bellamy shook his head and stared after the delinquent running through the forest before returning to the hatch. 

Orion raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going after him?”

He smirked. “No. This really smart girl said something about not turning into your torturers, and she’s right.” She rolled her eyes and shoved at his arm. He chuckled. “So, grab a pack and a gun. We’re going after your boyfriend.”

She smiled. “Really?”

“Take care of our own, right?” He ruffled her hair and descended down the ladder. Orion shook her head and continued to watch Murphy’s retreating figure. Movement caught her eye, a different part of the forest from the boy, a patch of light yellow shifting through the bushes, coming closer to camp. She watched until it disappeared in the green before sprinting down the ladder. 

Her eyes scanned the lower level for Bellamy and landed on a ginger girl hurling bits of rubble into the metal walls. Orion rushed to her friend and grabbed her shoulders, turning the girl to face her.

“Luci? What the hell are you-”

“That bastard left, didn’t he?!” Ry bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. Lucifer tore away from the brunette and picked up a hunk of metal before slamming it to the ground. “That fucking piece of shit! He said he wouldn’t leave! What a fucking dick! He promised! Who the fuck does that? Promises not to leave and then does. I’ll tell you who. Dicks! And Jonathan Fuckface Murphy is a perfect example!” 

Orion reached out to the girl in a comforting gesture as a voice outside frantically called her name. She sighed and gave one last look to the raging redhead before exiting the dropship. Her eyes landed on the raven-haired man and she raced to him. She pulled on his arm and he turned to her, brows furrowed.

“Bell, I just saw something in the woods. I’m not-”

The delinquents around them broke out into cheers as they parted, revealing a muddy and beaten blonde. Bellamy turned away from the brunette, his eyes trained on the blonde. Clarke looked up, her eyes meeting his, and ran towards him, the slight limp evident. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, as his arms wrapped around her torso. Bellamy steadied her back on her feet.

“Where the hell have you been?” 

“Grounders. They took me and Finn. Their healer was gone and they wanted me to heal this girl. I did everything I could but…she was too near death...I couldn’t save her, and they…” Her eyes drifted over towards the blonde-streaked girl and she shook her head. “It’s not important. Long story short, I escaped, got captured again, and escaped again. What  _ is  _ important-”

“Hey, calm down, we’re all just glad you’re okay.”

“No, Bellamy, I overheard them. They’re going to attack tonight, but first, they’re sending scouts.”

“So you want us to run?”

She shook her head. “I want us to fight.”

The others around them let out a cheer and Bellamy shouted orders, war preparations, to them before turning back to Clarke. “C’mon, you need some rest.” He wrapped his arm around her back and helped her limp towards her tent, where Orion and Jasper stood in front of the entrance.

Jasper smiled and nodded towards the dropship. “Sorry, Clarke, but Raven needs help. She got shot in the back.”

Clarke gave a confused look to Bellamy, who sighed. “I’ll explain later.” 

“Clarke?” The two turned to Orion, who was spinning the small stone around her neck. “Where’s Finn?”

“And Monty?” Jasper joined the brunette in blocking the entrance to the tent.

Clarke’s eyebrows shot up. “Monty? I never saw him.” Jasper’s face fell and he retreated, leaving Ry to stand her ground alone. “And Finn…” Clarke sighed. “I couldn’t save the girl. So they killed him. I’m sorry, Ry.” 

Orion paled and her fist gripped the small charm as she took a shaky breath. “You did all you could. Just, don’t tell Raven. We might need her to stay focused.” She mumbled before hurrying to the other side of camp, her head down. Bellamy watched her disappear before helping Clarke across the camp and into the dropship to aid Raven. 

Hours later, Bell wandered around the camp, checking that everything was in place as night quickly approached. He neared the group of recruits, which had increased to over half of their people. Some were off practicing with knives, others with bows and arrows, but the main group formed a tight crowd, practice sparring and creating a small circle around Orion and Miller. Ry easily flipped Miller onto his back and huffed, stomping around him in a circle. She let out a shrill whistle, halting the others’ ongoing actions.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Fighting isn’t about who’s stronger. It’s about who’s smarter. You need to be able to predict your enemy’s third and plan your fourth before you even make your first move.” She shouted and the teenagers whispered nervously amongst each other. 

Bellamy sighed and climbed atop a wooden crate. “Recruits! You’ve shown lots of improvement. The grounders may be here any minute, so eat and rest while you still can.” They cheered and quickly dispersed.

Orion pushed through the crowd, crossing her arms once she stood in front of the man. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Giving them a well-deserved break.”

“I’m not done training them.”

“Ry, this isn’t training. You’ve been wailing on them for hours. Not training them.”

“Of course it’s training. If they can't even get a hit on me, how the hell are they supposed to kill those grounder bastards?”

“How are they supposed to do anything when they’re exhausted?” She rolled her eyes and strolled to pick up the discarded knives. Bellamy pushed his hand through his hair. “Look, I know you're upset, but Finn-”

“Is dead and this isn't about him. This is about winning a war or taking a few grounders with us when we all die painful, bloody deaths.”

He looked at her as if she had grown a second head. “This isn't the Ry I know. Even on the Ark-”

She chuckled drily and launched a blade into a tree. “Yeah, well, the Ry you knew on the Ark was a little different, wasn't he?”

“Orion-”

She twirled a knife between her hands, purposefully avoiding Bellamy’s eyes. “I talked to Raven. She thinks we can turn the dropship into a giant bomb with all the hydrazine in the lower level. I told her to go ahead, but she wants you or Clarke to okay it first.”

His face morphed with horror as he stared at the expressionless girl. “Now I know this is about Finn. You shouldn’t be asking me to okay this, you shouldn’t be okay with it at all.”

She shrugged and slid the blade into the hilt on her hip. “I want the first foxhole.”

“What? I’m not letting you go out on the front lines. Not when you’re like this.”

“Jasper and Lucifer want to come with me.”

“Ry-”

“We’ve lost so much to those damn grounders! Don’t you think we deserve revenge?” She wiped the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, and Bellamy’s face softened.

“ _ You _ shouldn’t think that.”

“You’re not my conscience, Bellamy. So you either give me the fucking foxhole or I’ll just take it myself.” She shouldered a bow and a handful of arrows before brushing past him.

“You’re not fit to fight.”

She pivoted on her heel, turning back to him. “Oh, yeah? What makes you think that?”

He threw a punch towards her face, causing her to jerk back, and then looped his foot around her ankle. He pulled back and she landed on the ground, the air pushed out of her lungs in a single gasp. “I shouldn’t be able to do that.”

She coughed and waved away his outstretched hand as she struggled to her feet. She opened her mouth to argue when a lookout alerted the delinquents to movement in the trees. Teenagers poured out of tents and the dropship to the center of camp, rushing around for weapons and watching the treeline warily. Bellamy and Orion shared a look as both whistled for attention.

Bellamy crossed his arms, waiting for their undivided attention. “Alright, everyone, this is what we’ve been preparing for. And we’re ready. This is our home now, and we need to defend it.” A cheer of agreement roared around him. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Well, you already know your assignments, but first, I think your instructor would like to say something.” Orion raised an eyebrow at him. 

“It’s unlike you to not want the final say, Blake. You feeling okay?” She grinned as laughter rumbled around them and Bellamy rolled his eyes.

He lowered his voice. “You’re better with words than I am.” 

“I’m better at a lot of things. But you’re their leader.” 

“Please.” 

She growled and took a step in front of him. “Hey, guys, I’m going to be your war leader while Bell’s being a baby.” Bellamy shoved her and she rolled her eyes. “I think he wants me to be inspirational and rile you up or something? But here’s the thing: we’re a bunch of scared teenagers, none of us are superheroes, unless someone’s hiding something from me, and no speech is going to change that. But we are smart, and we have technology and the home field advantage in our favor. We are survivors. So if we fight with all we have, there’s a chance we can win this.” A cry rose from the masses. “So, no, I’m not going to give you some inspirational speech, but I will give you advice. First, the grounders will show no mercy, so return the favor. There will be no prisoners of this war. There’ve already been too many, and they’ve killed enough of us. Next, some of us, if not all, will die tonight. But you can’t be afraid of it. It’s better to die fighting for something than running away or hiding. I’ll be fighting alongside you and, even though I’m really fucking scared, I would be proud to die tonight.” They nodded solemnly and a single cheer rang out.

Lucifer jumped up on a crate, her gun waving through the air. “Thanks, Ry, but this is kinda my specialty.” She looked to the teenagers around her. “Who’s ready to kick some ass? I know I am!” The remaining 100 roared and waved their weapons in the air. “Let’s win this war!” She shouted and jumped off the crate, the teenagers bursting into applause.

Bellamy nodded and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Yeah, let’s kick some grounder ass before they kick ours.” He looked over to Orion uncertainly and dropped his voice down. “Sound good?”

She laughed and shook her head. “You tried.” He frowned and she turned back to the rallying delinquents. “Foxholes! With me. I need to talk to you.” A group swarmed around her and she took a deep breath, realizing most of them would be dead by the morning. “Okay, here’s the deal: I know you guys are trigger happy, but try to hold off until they’re close. Shots give away your position, and you may need the surprise later. Also,  _ do not  _ shoot unless you’re certain you can hit them. We only have so much ammo. But before you guys go out there, you need to get a walkie and paint your face.” They stiffened and she rolled her eyes. “I know you hate the grounders, but if they think we’re one of them they might hesitate, and you can use that against them.”

“Nice strategy for the pacifist.” 

“Don’t make me flip you, Miller.”

The teenagers chuckled and quickly moved to act on their orders. Luci and Jasper joined Orion, who chuckled to herself. “Avengers Assemble.” Jasper groaned while Lucifer tilted her head in confusion. Jasper and Orion explained the reference to the ginger as the group journeyed to the furthest foxhole. They settled in to the earth and smeared mud over each other’s eyes, silently acknowledging they were likely sitting in their grave. The scouts came quickly and mostly quietly, a few shot at the teenagers as they left the safety of the wooden walls, but they were quickly shot down by Bellamy’s snipers. The warriors followed soon after, thundering directly into the minefield. Orion and Bellamy traded advice and strategy over the walkies as the grounders tiptoed ever closer. Ry scanned the battlefield, her eyes narrowing as she watched the grounders.

She raised the walkie to her mouth. “Hey, keep quiet. I wanna try something.” Bellamy signalled his approval and Luci and Jasper looked to her curiously. She shook her head, her attention still trained on the tree warriors. They were moving westward, an attempt to avoid the minefield, unaware of the one directly behind them. Orion switched the walkie on. “Guys, look! They’re heading into the minefield.” 

Jasper looked at her. “What are you talking about?” 

“Shhhh Jasshole.” She watched as the grounders froze and immediately turned around and sprinted for safety, a fiery ball consuming them seconds later. “Son of a bitch.” She hissed as Luci’s jaw dropped.

“What the hell was that?”

“Your boyfriend stole a walkie. And I think the grounders stole your boyfriend.”

“No. You just blew up at least twenty people, and you don’t care?”

The brunette shrugged. “It’s war. People die.” 

The radio buzzed in her hand, Bellamy’s voice tinged with fuzz. “Orion. What just happened?”

“From now on I want radio silence unless it’s an emergency. Copy?”

“Whatever the hell you want, Your Highness.”

The night wore on, the usual peace interrupted by cries of battle and pain, arrows and bullets slicing through the air, and the occasional buzz of staticky, encoded messages on the walkies. The grounders were becoming too dense for the delinquents to handle as the night wore on, their ammunition nearly drained.

“Orion. Jasper. Do you copy?” Bellamy barked through the walkie.

Orion looked to Jasper, who jumped as his gun kicked back. “We copy.”

“We need one of you to come back to camp. Raven’s request.”

Orion swallowed and chewed her lip in thought. “Alright. We should be able to get there. I’ll make sure of it. But no radio, not even coded, and hold your fire until we get there safely.”

“Be careful, Asher.”

“No promises.” She cut the signal and turned to her teammates with a shaky breath. “Jasper, you go. I don’t know what they want you for, but I need to be out here. I’ll create a distraction so they won’t notice you.” 

“What are you going to do?”

“Just wait for my signal.” He nodded and hugged her before moving to wait outside the small tunnel in the ground. She turned to the redhead, who was watching her warily, and handed her the walkie and her gun. “You shouldn’t stay here alone. When I leave, I want you to run to the next foxhole.”

“Ry. What do you mean ‘alone’? Aren’t you coming back?”

The brunette swallowed and looked down, playing with the star around her neck. “There are some things you can’t come back from, Luce.”

Lucifer’s face fell. “Bellamy’s going to want to know what happened.”

“I know.”

“What am I supposed to tell him?”

The blonde-streaked girl sighed and tugged at her braid. “Tell him I’m sorry.”

Lucifer nodded and wrapped her arms around the girl’s neck. “May we meet again.” She whispered before crawling out to join Jasper.

Orion wiped her eyes and squeezed the star until it left an imprint on her hand. She shouted at the top of her lungs as she sprinted out onto the empty field. Ducking and rolling as arrows flew past her head. A grounder spotted her and stalked towards her before falling to the ground as she launched an arrow into his chest. She continued her routine of running and hiding, careful to avoid the unactivated mines, until an arrow landed in the back of her knee. She screamed and dropped to the ground, clutching at her leg. The brunette looked frantically around her, realizing there was nowhere close enough to hide. With a growl, she readied her bow, shooting at grounders until she reached back and grasped for nonexistent ammunition. Her hand fell to her hip and she gripped the knife there. A grounder sprinted toward her with a barbaric screech. She hurled the knife and the man fell, the blade glinting in his neck. Another man replaced him and Orion sighed, her hands and attention falling to her leg.

The man approached her calmly. “You fight well, Sky Girl, but yu gonplei ste odon.” 

She broke off the end of the arrow. “Just kill me.”

He unsheathed his machete and stared at her curiously. “You do not beg for mercy. Why?”

She scoffed. “I’m not an idiot. And I don’t beg.” She looked up at him, her eyes flashing with a fierce fury. “So kill me and get it over with.”

He gaped at her. “It can’t be…” He knelt in front of her and tilted her face towards the moonlight.

She smacked his hand away and glared at him. “Don’t touch me.”

“Heda.” He mumbled in awe. 

“What?”

A howl sliced through the air and the man stiffened. “Reapers.” He turned back to the brunette. “Yu nou ste klir hir, heda.” He bent and picked the girl up, gently placing her over his shoulder.

She pounded her fists against his back and shrieked. “Put me down! Just kill me, you bastard!” He tightened his hold and she continued to thrash and scream until the pain in her leg became too much and her world faded to black.

\----------------

Bellamy watched the field in tense worry, his knuckles white around the radio. He’d heard Orion’s shout and seconds later he’d seen at least ten arrows sail through the air. Jasper stumbled through the tunnel and Bellamy signaled to fire and hurriedly turned the walkie on.

“Lucifer, what the hell did she do?” Bellamy barked into the black box. “Lucifer.”

The radio buzzed with static and Lucifer’s shaky voice could barely be heard. “They took her, Bell.”

“What?”

She choked back a sob. “She told us to run, that she’d distract them. She…she was fighting and then I think she got hit because she fell, but she kept going, Bell, until she ran out of arrows.”

“You said they took her.”

“This grounder was talking to her. I thought he was gonna kill her and then he just picked her up and ran off with her.”

“But why?”

“I don't know. I wasn't close enough to hear.” She sighed. “Oh, and Blake?”

“Yeah?”

“She wanted me to give you a message.”

He swallowed, and his voice cracked as he spoke. “What is it?”

“‘I'm sorry’.” 

Bellamy’s grip tightened around the walkie and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Thank you, Luci.”

Bellamy sighed and fired into the mass of quickly approaching grounders. He noticed some of them looked different, wild and stained with red and white. The original grounders fought against these ones and Bellamy lowered his gun as he stared at them in bewilderment.

“What the hell?”

He heard a chuckle behind him. “Oh, you know, I thought I should bring some friends to the party.” Bellamy spun around to see Finn, a grin plastered on his face. “Too much?”

“You're alive?”

“No I decided to haunt you.” Finn laughed. “Why? Did you think I was dead? Did Bellamy Blake cry over me?”

Bellamy looked back towards the gate. “Orion…”

Finn stiffened, all teasing gone from his face. “Where is she?”

“Gone… They took her.”

Finn ground his teeth and fisted Bellamy’s collar. “Why would you let her go out there alone?”

“You act like I can  _ let  _ her do anything.” 

Finn raised his fist as grounders streamed into the camp. The two broke apart and turned their aggression on the intruders. Delinquents rushed past them into the dropship, but both boys were blocked from the haven by swarms of the Earth natives. They heard the rumble of engines and sprinted towards the trees as fire engulfed the camp and everyone inside. 


	9. We Remain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Kylo, a character I stole from ZvezdaMoya's "When the Day Met the Night" (seriously go check it out if you haven't already it's amazing and I do not do Kylo justice)  
> Story time with Nyko and friends  
> The mystery begins to unravel as another forms  
> I might have broken things  
> Whoopsies :P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's been forever. How are you? I hope everything's sunshine and rainbows and if it isn't I hope it gets better :). I've been struggling through this chapter, well most of these weeks was filled with writer's block and me whining to Z about how I'm just going to quit but I made it, and now here is your chapter.
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers.  
> -Eri
> 
> P.S. The first little blurb of nonsensical Trigedasleng in the second paragraph translates to "Another pain I must heal" in case you were curious/confused.

Orion awoke with a groan, her eyes squinting to view her surroundings in the dim light. She focused on two green eyes less than a foot from her face, and she jumped back, her head slamming into a rock behind her. She let out another low groan in pain and watched as the eyes rolled in irritation. 

“Moun laudnes ai souda fis op.” A light voice grumbled as Ry’s hands were forcefully pulled away from her. She flinched, bracing for pain, but only felt a cool cloth gently be applied to her hands. She opened her eyes and stared in confusion at the darkened form in front of her. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she could make out long blonde hair peeking from a raised dark hood, olive-toned hands working smoothly and carefully over Orion’s gashed hands. The figure raised its head and Orion stared back into the same intense green eyes, framed by a black ribbon of kohl on the olive-toned face of a girl. The grounder shouted words in a language the sky girl could not understand and received a similar answer in a deeper voice.

“Why are you helping me?” The brunette croaked as she tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by the blonde.

“Set doun.” The two stared at each other until the green eyes ripped away as a man lumbered into the room. Dark brown braids fell onto his broad shoulders and framed a stern face littered with tattoos. 

His face broke into a kind smile as his eyes fell to Orion. “Heda!” In their language, he shouted joyful words, a greeting, judging by his tone of voice and body language. She stared blankly at him, her mind searching for meaning in the one word she recognized. ‘Heda’. The grounder on the battlefield had called her that, but she still had no idea of its meaning. The man looked at her expectantly and she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand you.” She watched them, blue eyes wide, as they exchanged a confused glance and the blonde rolled her eyes before returning her attention back to Ry’s hands.

The man cleared his throat. “Heda, why do you speak in the Sky People’s tongue?”

Orion furrowed her brow. “It’s  _ my _ language. I’m from the sky.” The man exchanged a few words in the foreign language with the blonde. “Why am I here? Why are you healing me? And who or what is  _ heda _ ?”

The man chuckled. “ _ You  _ are Heda. You-”

“No, I’m Orion. I'd say nice to meet you but I'm not a fan of lying. Or being held as prisoner.” Her face darkened into a scowl. “Now, just tell me-” She let out a yelp as the blonde put a strange concoction on the brunette’s hand. The grounder girl froze in shock as Orion wrenched her hand back, cradling it to her chest. The man turned furiously to the blonde, who shook her head and held her hands up.

He growled. “Kylo-”

“I did not intend to harm her, Nyko. She is not accustomed to kitla.” 

“The fuck is a kitla?” Orion hissed as she looked up from her hand.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “A plant found along the river. It heals and cleanses open wounds, but a slight pain accompanies the effects temporarily.”

The brunette moved her hand cautiously, the muscles stretching and bending, free of pain. She looked up at the grounders in awe. “That’s incredible.” The blonde held her hand out impatiently and Ry reluctantly offered her own hands to the healer.

The brunette flinched again as Kylo smeared the strange substance over her palms. The grounder scowled at the sky girl’s weakness. “I will need to treat your leg again. An arrow wound leads not to a quick recovery.” The blonde-streaked girl looked down to see her pants cut off at the knee, revealing a blood-soaked bandage secured around the joint. She picked at the frayed strands of the shorn material, reluctant to venture near the gauze. Kylo scrunched her nose. “We would have discarded them anyway. They reek of the sky.”

Orion raised an eyebrow. “The sky smells?”

“The monsters that came from it do.”

The sky girl clenched her jaw. “Those are _ my  _ people, my _ friends _ . They aren’t monsters!”

“Only monsters attack the innocent.” The blonde chuckled darkly at the brunette’s glare. “It seems you have poor judgement,  _ Orion _ .”

Ry lunged forward, only to be stopped by her immobile leg and a quick burst of pain shooting from her knee. Nyko turned to the blonde, a scolding on his lips. “You will only speak to your heda with respect.”

Kylo threw her supplies on the floor and stood up. “She is not my heda! She is not one of us!”

“She is your patient.”

Green eyes swept from the exit to the sky girl before landing back on the giant man before her. The blonde sighed before returning to her previous position and picking up the discarded materials. She carefully peeled back the bandage and mumbled, “I will not obey your commands.”

“Doubt you’d obey anyone’s, especially a prisoner’s. Besides, I’m fresh out.” Orion pretended to turn out her pockets as the grounder looked to her in confusion. The two stared at each other until Kylo looked back down to the other girl’s knee, a smug smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. Ry’s eyes drifted back over to the man. “I still don’t understand.” He turned to her. “What’s a ‘heda’?”

Nyko chuckled and sat across from her on the ground, careful to give Kylo room. “It means leader, but also so much more.” Orion tilted her head and the man stretched and cleared his throat. “In the beginning, there were no clans as there are today. There were only people fighting for themselves, warring against their brethren. The world became a chaotic place where only the strong or the thieves could survive. But then came the Maunon, the Mountain Men. They possessed weapons and creations far more advanced than ours. They pillaged our people, murdering us, taking us for reasons unknown. We fled, seeking safety amongst each other for the first time. But we were not a peaceful people. Neighbor fought neighbor over petty arguments. Disagreements between village elders became wars. The Mountain Men could have easily destroyed us, if not for Heda.” He looked to see if he still had Orion’s attention, and he smiled at the girl’s wide eyes and slightly parted lips.

“What did she do?” The brunette whispered in awe and Kylo scoffed beneath her breath.

“Heda was a fierce warrior with a kind heart. No one knows where she came from, but many believe she was a spirit sent to us from the heavens to aid in our time of need. She easily gained a following: wherever she visited, people vowed their lives to her. Our people flocked to her, uniting as one clan under her rule. But she never thought herself a leader or above anyone else, she showed kindness to all and believed strongly in peace. But calls for war broke out among the masses, war on the Mountain. Heda disagreed and instead ventured to the Mountain in hope of becoming allies. She worked tirelessly, journeying to the Mountain often, sometimes staying weeks or months at a time. Finally, her work seemed to prove fruitful and she traveled to the Mountain with a small group of her most trusted to meet the Maunon leader and discuss a treaty. The meeting seemed to prove fruitful, until one of Heda’s guards speared a Mountain Man, killing him and all hope for peace. Heda fled from the Mountain and war ensued immediately. She cursed the killer but led her people into battle despite her reluctance. Our people fought valiantly and successfully pushed the Maunon back into the Mountain, but Heda was wounded. They carried her home and she received treatment from the best healers, but it was too late. Their weapons had pierced her ribs, and we did not have the medicine to save her. As she labored through her last breaths, Heda vowed to never return, in body or spirit, for her people had gone against her wishes for peace so she would forsake them.”

A hush fell over the dim room. Kylo had stopped working to listen, her hands frozen over the wound on Orion’s knee. The man stared at the brunette, waiting for her reaction and she cleared her throat. “What happened after?”

“Our people were thrown into the chaos of the past. Most split into twelve-”

“Thirteen.” Kylo interjected with a growl.

“Oh, yes, the Skeidgedakru.” Kylo nodded and returned to Ry’s wound as Nyko sought his memory for where he had left off. “Many people divided into  _ thirteen _ clans, but others chose to wander alone or with few others. War occured often amongst the tribes, and we despaired, but we knew our great leader would join us when the darkest hour fell upon the land, and we honored her memory by giving all of our leaders the title greatest title of all, heda.” Orion nodded in understanding and he smiled. “So, yes, heda means leader, but it also represents what a good leader is and what everyone should aspire to be: honorable and valiant, strong and skillful, humble and kind, intelligent and independent.”

The brunette furrowed her brow. “But why do you think I’m Heda?”

“When Heda rose to power, she was young, the youngest leader that has ever been chosen by the spirits, and she died within the first year of her reign. You are the age that we believed Heda to be, just entering adulthood. There is also a drawing of her in the capital, one only to be viewed by high ranking officials, but as our people’s primary healer I have seen it once and you are identical.” The sky girl’s skin paled but Nyko paid no mind. “Which is strange. No heda has ever returned in the same body, we can just feel their spirit. Yours is stronger than any heda’s has ever been, even the simplest person could feel it. And your eyes…” He watched as she shuffled uncomfortably under his gaze. “Are old, older than your body, and wise.”

The brunette shook her head, the haze of wonder clearing from her eyes. “But I came from the sky.”

“Many believe the same about the first Heda.”

“No.” The brunette sighed and moved to tug at her hair as Kylo held her hands firmly in place. “I grew up in space. With the people you call enemy, the Sky People. Why would a Trikru leader be reborn in space? It just doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't she return to her own culture?”

“Spirits work in strange ways. Heda would not be an exception. It does not matter what your life was before. What is important is that Heda has finally returned to us and will lead us into an age of peace and prosperity.  _ You  _ will lead all of our people into this age.” Orion’s eyes widened and she looked away, her eyes training on the wall in front of her. “At dawn we will take you-”

“I’m not feeling well.” She wasn’t lying. Her breathing quickened and her pulse pounded in her ears as the new information absorbed and the situation pressed on her chest.

Nyko exchanged a worried glance with Kylo and cleared his throat. “As you wish, Heda. I will leave you to Kylo’s healing hands and she will inform me of when you are ready.”

She nodded, clenching her jaw, and waited until he left the room before she released the breath she had been holding and relaxed into the wall. She closed her eyes, forcing her lungs to take even gulps, before she looked down to the girl still working on her leg.

“Your duties frighten you?” The blonde mumbled without raising her face from the wound.

Orion ignored the question and cleared her throat, eyes searching for a distraction. “Your name’s Kylo?” The blonde looked up and nodded and Ry grinned. “Like Kylo Ren?”

The grounder frowned at her. “I am not a bird.”

The brunette laughed and shook her head. “No. It’s from a movie.” Blonde hair fell over the girl’s shoulder as her head tilted to the side in confusion. Orion shook her head. “Forget it. It was a dumb joke anyway.” Kylo shrugged and turned to her pouch for a different container. Ry watched her work in silence, studying her. “You don’t think I’m Heda.”

“I  _ know _ you are not Heda.” There was an edge to her voice that chilled the sky girl. Kylo clenched her jaw. “Heda would not murder her own people.”

Ry’s face drained of color. “How did you know about that?”

“We all know! Three hundred warriors have died because of you!”

The sky girl sighed in relief. “Oh, the war. Of course you meant the war.” She took a deep breath, her eyes trained on the wall and hands idly twirling the loose threads around her thigh. “Your ‘warriors’ aren’t my people, and I didn’t kill three hundred.”

“No? But was it your voice on that strange device that led twenty into a field of fire? Was it you who ran out and shot down ten more? Or was it some other sky person who threw a knife into Raiko’s neck?” Orion looked down at her hands to avoid the accusation from the burning green eyes. “You cannot deny that you murdered people who would have worshiped you. You cannot deny your guilt.”

“No.” She squeezed her eyes shut as memories from the battle flashed in her mind. “I can’t deny my guilt and I’ll never forgive myself for killing those people. But they weren’t mine. My people lived among the stars. And when we landed here, my people were mercilessly attacked by yours.”

“You invaded our land! Stole our food!”

“That wasn’t our choice! But it was yours to spear my friend!”

“The same one we spared and who later killed three of our best archers?”

“Don’t act like you didn’t start this violence!”

“You believe the battle ended it when the war is only beginning.” Kylo chuckled darkly and the brunette backed warily into the wall. “My people defended themselves. Yours murdered my friends.” 

“You killed Finn!” The shout left Orion’s throat before she could stop it and she bit down on her lip.

Kylo stilled, staring at her in confusion. “I have never killed a sky person.”

The blonde-streaked girl shook her head, her fists clenching at her sides as she spoke through gritted teeth. “Your people did.”

“He was important to you?” Orion stared ahead in stony silence. “Denying your pain does not eliminate it.” The grounder earned no reaction from the sky girl and sighed. “Perhaps the other sky people will join him soon.”

“Others?”

“Many were killed in the battle, not all Trikru, and the survivors met a worse fate.” Ry’s eyebrow twitched, and Kylo took it as a sign to continue from the girl’s otherwise stoic expression. “The Maunon captured them. Pray your friends die quickly.” Kylo sighed at the blank-faced teen and packed up her supplies. “I will return in the morning to continue treatment.” 

She stalked out of the room and Orion leaned her head back against the rock, eyes closing as she focused on maintaining calm, even breaths. The quiet click of a latch echoed bounced off the rock walls and the brunette’s breath caught as the air seemed to press against her. She squeezed her eyes shut, her jaw clenched and fists balled so tight her fingernails bit into her palms, as the thoughts pounded against her skull. A shout ripped from her throat as she slammed her fist into the rock behind her. Pain shot up her arm as the jagged stone ripped through her skin. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the sensation and swung her other arm into the wall. She released the breath she had been holding and dug her hands into the wall, using the leverage to pull herself up. Her leg screamed in pain as she dragged it behind her, but she let out a small whoop when she stayed standing. Pressing her forehead against the wall, she paused to catch her breath, the action more exerting than she’d expected. Her lungs still gasped for air, but not desperately, more like the first minute after laps during guard training. 

_ Bellamy clutched at his side as he ran, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Ry sprinted past him, a laugh leaving her lips as he shouted swears after her retreating form. _

A grin tugged at the corners of her lips, only to be replaced by a grimace as a different memory dominated her head. She shook the thought away and gripped the wall tighter, her hands cramping from the force as the rock scaped along her palm.  _ Better than thinking _ . 

Orion pushed off the wall slightly and craned her neck to peer into the darkness, eyes frantically searching for escape. Before the darkness could suffocate her with whispers from the past, she pulled her body along the expanse of the wall. She stumbled around the perimeter of the small room, finding herself secure in the prison. She screamed out in frustration and kicked the wall, a satisfying crack filling the room. She raked a hand through her hair and continued to limp through the darkness, until her lame foot got caught on something and she crumpled to the ground. She growled and smacked the floor below her, before pushing off the dirt below in an attempt to sit upright. Her arms shook before giving out and she fell back to the ground, her head smacking against the hard surface. She blinked the stars from her vision until she realized they weren’t imaginary. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head, the faint white spots peeking through the darkness shifting with her. She studied small points of light intently until the clouds revealed the moon, a small ribbon of silver appearing on the ground next to her. She stared at the sliver of light above her, noting the source was too high and small to be of any use to her. She scowled and turned her attention to her slightly brighter surroundings. 

Near the twisted form of her leg, the jagged edges of a rock glinted in the moonlight. Ry jolted upright, ignoring the pain emitting from several points in her body, and grasped for the stone. Her fists closed around it tightly, the edges irritating the old and creating new wounds on her palm. She pushed herself into the middle of the silver strip and examined the rock, the light shining as she twisted the object. She tenderly pressed her finger against the edge and a strange spark burned in her blue eyes as she pulled away, her pale skin marred by a dark liquid.

“I won’t be their prisoner.” She mumbled as she lightly traced the vein in her arm, just enough pressure to make her shiver. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the sediment with a new purpose and drew her arm back. 

_ A silent scream choked in her throat as the sterile scent of the Ark’s laundry detergent pervaded her thoughts.  _

She froze, the makeshift weapon inches from her skin.

_ Her lungs screamed for air, finding none. The coarse fabric tasted like salt. The dampening cotton stealing more of her oxygen. _

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her breathing increased. The jagged rock tore through her skin as her fist clenched around it.

_ Her chest burned and she flailed her limbs as her thoughts swirled and the world around her seemed fuzzy. Through the static she thought she heard a voice telling her everything would be okay, that she'd be among the stars soon, where Orion belonged. Her mother’s voice. _

The air was too thin in the room. Maybe that was the grounders’ plan. Trap her in a prison with too little oxygen. She pressed her hands against the ground, her head falling forward.

_ Her mother’s hands stroking her hair, like when she was little and couldn’t sleep. Her father’s hands pressing the pillow against her face. _

She reached for the rock as her vision swam.

_ Her hand sought for the blade she’d hidden only hours before. _

The stone bit into her skin, blood warming her fingertips.

_ Her father screaming. A foreign substance dripping over her hand. Her lungs taking greedy gasps of air.  _

She was choking. There wasn’t enough air in the room. The rock fell from her grasp as she clutched at her neck.

_ She froze as her father fell back, his face lifeless in frozen in pain. She scrambled forward, pressing her bedsheets into his side, desperate to stop the bleeding as the white fabric turned red. _

“Little Lotte let her mind wander…” Ry mumbled between gasps for air.

_ Her mother screaming. Hands forcing her back. Head slamming back into the wall. Her mother wailing. Light and shouts filling the room. Bellamy’s face twisted with horror. _

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force the memory from her mind, mumbling the story like a mantra.

_ Flames consuming the field. Screams of agony. Arrows piercing chests, necks. The life fading out of a man’s eyes as he reached for the knife in his neck. _

Her hand fell on the rock. The moonlight caught a glint of silver. The bracelet. 

_ Finn, chained to the earth, his long locks matted to his forehead. The usual teasing light in his eyes replaced with fear and pain until they dimmed to nothing.  _

_ Bellamy’s familiar smirk morphing into a grimace as his tanned skin paled. _

_ Defiance fading from Octavia’s eyes. Her head tilted towards the light she’d been denied for so long. _

_ Orange hair fanning out from Lucifer’s head as blood mimicked the image around her torso.  _

_ Jasper curled around a rifle, his face twisted in pain. _

_ Monty twirling her and spinning away into the dark unknown. _

_ Clarke’s blonde hair turning red, her jaw clenched shut.  _

_ Raven’s lifeless form slumped over the control center, hands splayed over the various knobs and buttons. _

_ The delinquents laughing and talking around the bonfire fading into charred and mangled corpses. _

The light faintly illuminated  _ Wick  _ and  _ Graco _ .

_ People clutching at their throats, stumbling around the dying metal ship. _

She clutched the stone and brought it down on her arm.

The sunlight slanting in her eyes woke her up before Kylo’s boot did, but the latter was more effective. She groaned and rolled over to look at the smirking blonde, hissing as pain shot through her leg.

“If you preferred this spot we could have moved you.” The grin fell away from the blonde’s face as Ry rolled over, revealing the new injuries and streaks of blood.

The brunette followed the grounder’s gaze and shrugged. Kylo knelt next to her with a sigh and gently lifted her hands for examination. She bent the sky girl’s fingers carefully and tried to ignore the blue eyes boring into her. 

“You have not severely injured yourself.” The blonde mumbled as she released the girl’s arms and rifled through her bag. She retrieved a small container and reached inside before picking up the brunette’s hands and lightly smearing the substance over the bloody palms.

Orion stared blankly above her, offering no resistance as she lazily looked at her surroundings in the brighter light. Kylo gazed at her warily before turning to her work. She paused as her eyes landed on the metal band clamped around the sky girl’s wrist. Kylo tilted Ry’s arm, studying the silver. The surface was marred with blood and light scratches she hadn’t seen in the poor light of the night. With a cautious glance to Ry, she reached down to lightly trace the strange etchings.

Orion growled and yanked her hand back to her chest, glaring at the startled blonde. “Don’t touch.”

The grounder raised her hands in surrender. “I need to heal your wounds.” The sky girl scowled at her for a minute before rolling her eyes and offering her hand. Kylo applied the kitla and wrapped the girl’s hands with cloth, careful to avoid the metal as hard blue eyes watched her every move. Yet her attention stayed glued to the girl’s wrist and the strange markings. 

Ry stared at her uncertainly, her brows furrowing at the blonde’s genuine confusion and curiosity. “You can’t read, can you?”

The blonde’s brows knit together and she shook her head. “What are they?”

The sky girl narrowed her eyes. “Something important to me.” She flopped back to the ground, staring idly above her. Kylo turned her head down to Orion’s knee as the brunette’s curt tone dismissed any further questioning. They sat in silence as Kylo worked, the grounder occasionally glancing to the girl with the vacant stare. A soft noise alerted the blonde and her head shot up to see the blue eyes boring into her with a renewed intensity. “Tell me their names.”

Kylo blinked. surprised by the faint voice. “What?”

“Tell me the names of the people I killed.” She set her jaw, her eyes burning with sincerity. “Please.” Kylo remained in a stunned silence and Orion turned back to the ceiling with a sigh. “Raiko was one, right? The knife?” 

The blonde nodded. “He was a great warrior.” She leaned back, finished with her healer’s duties, and followed the sky girl’s gaze to a small crack in the ceiling. “Your arrows found their mark in Neka, Dyani, and others we have yet to identify. Your trick with the communication device killed Sisika, Achak, Conchobar, Zihna, and Gomda.”

“You said there were twenty in the landmine explosion.”

“Their bodies are too damaged to know.”

Ry nodded, her fists balling at her sides. Her voice cracked as she spoke. “And the giant fireball after?” 

Kylo paled. “How did you know about that? Tatonga carried you from the battlefield before we breached the wall.”

The brunette bit her lip and swallowed. “The dropship explosion was supposed to be a last-ditch effort to save my people. I authorized it. I’m responsible for their deaths.”

“We assume approximately three-hundred, but we cannot be sure. The bodies were incinerated. We do not know how many escaped, but we do know there are Skaikru among them.”

“It’s war. It happens.”

“You believe that?”

“No.” She sent the blonde a wry smile that didn’t reach her eyes before turning back to the ceiling. 

Kylo cleared her throat, the guilt emanating from the brunette making her uncomfortable. “We must transport you to a more secure location soon.”

“Not with this leg.” Orion winced as she tried to raise the injured limb. A soft laugh bubbled out of her throat. “Unless you plan on carrying me.”

“If you rest and do not resist treatment, you should be able to walk to the nearest village in a few days.”

“I think we’re both smart enough to know that’s unlikely due to my record.” She waved her bandaged arm. Pulling herself up into a seated position, Ry bent her good knee and rested her chin atop it. “Since we’ll be here for awhile, I’ve got a proposition for you, Kylo,” The grounder raised an eyebrow, nodding for the brunette to continue. “If you teach me Trigedasleng and Trikru culture, I’ll tell you anything you want to know about Skaikru or space in general. Or I can teach you how to read and write if you want.”

“And why would I make a deal with a murderer?”

“How many kill marks do you have, Healer?” The sky girl grinned, and Kylo ignored the question and rolled her eyes.

“Why do you desire this exchange?”

“Boredom. And I might as well learn about the people that think I’m their leader.” 

The blonde sighed and ran a hand through her hair before a slight smirk threatened to break her stoic expression. “Ai teik in.” 


	10. Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback Party (This made me cry and laugh pretty much equally and I think I made Z cry at one point I dunno I was pretty much bawling the whole time from little secrets meanings)  
> More Kylo (written mostly by Z because I apparently think Grounders are Vikings)(seriously go read "When the Day Met the Night" because Murlo is the best thing ever and Ry sometimes makes an appearance but mostly for Murphy and Ky) and brOTP  
> Learn all about Ry and the awful past I have given her (I hate myself for doing this to her)  
> Lexa's a douche

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three years later...  
> Ok so I know I was pretty much dead for like almost a month (even Archive kicked me from my account) but at least I made 2 chapters (this one is basically 3 by itself)  
> So enjoy the continuation of Ry's story and I hope it doesn't tear you apart like it did me  
> Hopefully I will have an easier time writing next chapter (because spoilers)
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers.  
> -Eri

_The small collection of tents behind the makeshift barrier of logs surged with life. Teenagers moved busily in all directions. A group of girls carried small rain buckets on their heads, laughing as they pretended to be the Native American women they saw in old movies on the Ark. Teams of boys worked together to carry giant logs towards the ever-growing wall. Bellamy barked orders at the boys, driving them like herds of cattle. He heard laughter and his words echoing behind him in two different, lighter tones and he pivoted on his heel to see Orion and Octavia. They stood on the tips of their toes, hands on their hips, and chests puffed with an excessive amount of pride. Bellamy looked down, surprised to find his stance eerily similar to the two girls and they burst into laughter, falling back into their usual postures. A group had formed around them, all the kids with the day off clutching their hands over their mouths in an attempt to mask their laughter. Bellamy growled and advanced toward the two brunettes that were now highfiving._

_“What the hell are you two doing?”_

_Orion grinned and rose back to the tops of her feet. Her voice dropped an octave as her eyes reached the same level as Bellamy’s. “Whatever the hell we want.” She coughed and dropped back to her heels, laughter echoing around them._

_Octavia giggled and returned to her previous position of over-inflated arrogance. She looked down to Ry with a frown. “Get back to work, Asher! You’re wasting daylight!”_

_The corners of Bell’s mouth twitched. “You two think you’re funny don’t you?” They laughed in response and he took a menacing step towards them._

_The blonde-streaked girl raised an eyebrow in challenge, but O grabbed her wrist, dragging her behind as she fled to Jasper and Monty’s tent, their laughter echoing behind them._

The small collection of huts swarmed with activity: women carried buckets of water to a large basin; men hauled lumber towards a primitive construction site; children raced about, sticks in hand, and battled each other as the elders looked upon them in amusement; cheerful sounds filled the air, the natives’ language free of the usual harsh tones.  Kylo instinctively reached behind her head to pull the hood over her eyes, only to find the familiar fabric missing. She spun on her heel quickly and sighed as she saw Orion and remembered. The brunette was staring wide-eyed at the village, her face almost deathly pale and eyes conveying her thoughts full of fear and uncertainty. Her hands clenched tightly at the dark cloak around her, tugging the hood until it fell over most of her face. A faint glare passed over the grounder’s face at the sight of the cloak, her cloak. Nyko had ordered Kylo to give the sky girl the dark fabric, saying the forest wasn’t safe, that Heda’s identity needed more protection than either of them. Kylo had reluctantly complied, and the brunette had accepted it with a furrowed brows and silence.

Now she was met with blue eyes, desperately searching for guidance. The blonde quickly donned a smile and lightly bounded to her side.

“A little nervous, are we?”

Orion blew some of the hair from her face in a worried huff. “Wouldn’t you be?”

“I have no reason to be for I am not their dead leader.” She smirked at the sky girl’s clear annoyance.

The brunette glanced behind her shoulder at the man lurking not far behind them. “I can’t just waltz in there acting like I’m Heda.”

Kylo followed her gaze to Nyko. “This ‘waltz’ is foreign to me.”

Their gazes snapped back to each other and Ry chuckled lightly. “It’s a form of dance.”

“Why would you not just call it such? You sky people are so weird.” Another chuckle from the  girl caused Kylo to nudge her. “Your nerves have died down. Can we proceed? The villagers have been waiting years for your return, _Heda_.” The blonde bent down in a mock curtsy.

Orion crossed her arms and scoffed. “Kylo, I don’t even know what to say. ‘Hey there, It’s me, the legendary leader. Ya know, the dead one?”

“Of course not.” Ry seemed to relax at her words making Kylo’s grin widen. “I have yet to teach you all of those words, they would never understand you.” The grounder’s laugh caught Nyko’s attention as Ry punched her arm lightly. The brunette glanced down at the ground due to his intense gaze. Kylo only rolled her eyes at the man and slung her arm around Orion. “Do not fear, Star, I will be by you if anything arises.”

Ry laughed at the nickname Kylo had grown accustomed to calling her on account of her name, but seemed to lose the tension in her shoulders. Kylo smiled as her efforts to calm the girl had begun to work. Something blue had caught the grounder’s eyes and she quickly detached herself from Orion to inspect it.

Ry watched Kylo gently examine the flower and she found herself smiling. She expected to find no friendship in the camp she had been forcefully brought to, but the sarcastic green eyes that always seemed to remind her of one of the criminals brought down her typical wall of defense.

_Ry fiddled absentmindedly with the loose strands of her hair. The braid from before had slowly deteriorated until only a handful remained tied together. Kylo had offered to redo it several times, but the brunette couldn’t let go of one of her few reminders of her friends._

_Kylo leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the sky girl disdainfully._

_“Nyko will be here soon.”_

_Ry shrugged and let herself fall to the ground. “Looks like it’s gonna be another wasted visit.” She motioned to her bandaged leg disinterestedly and turned her face to the crack in the ceiling._

_The blonde scowled. “You can no longer use your injury as an excuse. I hear you pace throughout the night.” The sky girl shrugged and wrapped her notorious blond streak around her finger until it went numb._

_“Technically, I can do whatever I want since I’m Heda.” She smirked at the blonde, who donned a mischievous grin._

_“Then it seems we will have to carry you.” She quickly grabbed the brunette’s ankles and ran backwards, dragging the girl along the floor. Orion let out a laugh, the first real laugh in days, as Kylo chuckled and gently released her hold before offering her hand to help the sky girl to her feet._

After deeming the flower to be of no use, Kylo stood up and yawned at the sun above them. She looked over to Orion who was staring at a tree in thought causing the grounder to chuckle. “I know that Trikru sounds like tree crew,” She motioned to the tree. “But I assure you it is not that literal.”

Ry scoffed. “You’re a smartass, you know that?” Kylo only smiled and looked toward the village. “I don’t think I can do this. I’m not ready. I don’t know enough of the language or the customs. I’m going to fuck this up.”

Kylo noticed her hands grip her cloth as she took a couple steps back. Nyko was about to step up when the blonde shook her head at him and retreated to Orion’s side. She sighed at the sky girl and stared out with her at the small town. “Maybe, but at least it will be entertaining to watch.”

She turned to see Ry glaring at her which only brought a grin to her face. The brunette shook her head. “No, I’m not doing this.”

Kylo placed her hand on her friends back. “Too bad you do not have a choice.” With one quick shove Orion stumbled out of the clearing. She desperately gripped the hood and pulled it over her face. The grounder girl only shook her head at the sight and chuckled. She stepped out into the village and pulled the hood down causing Orion to spin around. “You can not hide who you are.”

“But I’m not who they’ll think I am.”

“I was not talking about them.” Kylo motioned to the villagers. “You do not talk about them. Your people.”

“I’ll talk about mine the day you talk about yours.”

_Ry carefully stepped across a thin branch that had fallen over the rushing waters of a river, her arms spread out from her sides and her tongue poking from her mouth as she stared below her in concentration.  Her feet found the halfway point of the natural bridge as the water gained height and force. Her eyes trained on the flowing liquid, awed by the sheer power of it._

_“Hey, Mystery Girl.” A voice sounded behind her and she jumped, arms flailing as she fought to keep her balance on the wood barely wider than her foot. Once she was stable, she looked back over her shoulder to see Finn standing on the bank, struggling to contain a grin._

_She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her feet. “You almost got me killed, Spacewalker.”_

_He chuckled and tentatively pressed a foot on his end of the branch. “No, I would’ve just had to save you.”_

_She snorted and took a few more cautious steps. “So you can swim as well as you can spacewalk?”_

_“Don’t you know I’m good at everything?” Biting his lip, he stepped onto the wood, his weight producing a creaking sound._

_The girl in front of him stiffened and she turned around, careful not to lose her footing. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Collins? This thing can barely support me.”_

_“Sorry, I’m just drawn to you. Stars have some serious gravity right?” She glared at him, her face pale as the support below them continued to make small cracking noises. He laughed and took another step. “Where’s your sense of adventure, Blue Eyes?” He took another step, his teasing smile growing as panic engulfed her face._

_“Finn, please.”_

_His face softened at the soft tremor of her voice. “Ry, relax, we’re not going to fall.” She stared at the feeble bridge separating them from the rushing current below. He edged his way along the branch until there was only a foot between them. “See?” Her eyes stayed trained below. He sighed and reached his hand out towards her. “C’mon, I’ll help you back.”_

_Her head jolted up and she shook her head. “What part of it won’t support us don’t you understand?” He raised an eyebrow and gestured to the branch that was still intact beneath them. “Oh shut up.” She shoved his shoulder and the wood let out a deafening creak. Her hand gripped his shoulder as her body went rigid._

_“What is it about you and my shoulders?” He grinned as she rolled her eyes and moved to release her hold on him but he covered her hand with his. His lips morphed into a smirk as he lightly bounced on the balls of his feet._

_She scowled at him as the wood began to bend. “I’ll kill you, Collins.” She gripped his shoulder tighter as the air echoed with the sounds of splintering wood. “If I don’t die first.”_

_He laughed and moved his hand to rest on her waist. “Since when is the big, bad Orion Asher af-”_

_A crack sounded from underneath him and Finn clenched his jaw, quickly pulling Ry to his chest as the branch broke out from under them._

_They tumbled through the water, the current tossing and turning them, taking them to an unknown destination as they battled for air. Seconds later, the force was gone, replaced by a calm stillness. Finn felt for the earth with his toes a quickly stood up, making sure to keep his hold on the girl clinging to his chest. They broke the surface, gulping lungfuls of air, and Finn happily noted the water only came up to their chests._

_“Hey, Ry,” Finn rasped and he was suddenly met with inquisitive blue eyes. “Looks like you fell for me.”_

_Her face darkened as he laughed. He sputtered as water filled his nose and mouth. She glared and splashed him again once he took a breath._

_“‘Oh, Ry, there’s nothing to worry about. We won’t fall.’ Well guess what Finn we fucking fell!” Her arm tore through the water, sending a wave in his direction._

_“In love?” He grabbed her wrists before she could splash him again. “Okay, okay, I get it. I’m sorry. I was stupid and reckless, but at least we didn’t die.”_

_“This isn’t any better, Finn! I don’t know where we are!”_

_“And just when I wanted to be alone with you. Wouldn’t you know, there is a God.”_

_She rolled her eyes and frantically began to scan the trees surrounding them. “We could be miles from camp. How are we supposed to get back-”_

_“Hey.” He reached up and cupped her face between his hands, forcing her eyes on his. “We’re going to be okay. Because lucky you have me, the incredible tracker and navigator. Okay?”_

_She nodded and moved to pull away, but his hands stayed on either side of her face. “Finn? We should probably start back now. It won’t be long until dark.”_

_His eyes drifted over her face. “I like you like this.”_

_She raised an eyebrow. “Wet?” He smirked suggestively and she rolled her eyes, a faint pink dusting her cheeks. He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, tracing the quickly darkening blush._

_“I’ve never seen you this open, this...vulnerable.”_

_Her face burned and she gently pried his hands away. Clearing her throat, she waded through the water towards the shore. “I think I read somewhere that walking around in wet clothes is a pain in the ass, so we should probably dry off.” She mumbled barely glancing over her shoulder at the boy still standing in the middle of the water._

_He laughed. “Well, I know two ways we can do that.”_

_She rolled her eyes and spun around, giving him a dramatic wink before rushing to the bank with a laugh as he sloshed after her._

“Sure, one day I may bother you with my tribe. But I see how happy you are when a memory flashes in your eye.” Kylo scrutinized the brunette as a haze seemed to clear from her eyes.

Ry shook her head. “That’s all it is, a memory, and that’s all it ever will be. That girl, who I used to be, died with them.”

“‘Them’? Or him?” Orion’s gaze snapped to Kylo who just sighed as she monitored the village. “Sometimes there is an extra glint in your eye or your smile widens a little farther than it usually would. I know nothing of love, but I see it when you think of him.”

“His name was Finn.”

“‘Was?’”

“He’s uh...he’s dead. I kinda screamed at you about him.”

“Ah.” The brunette made no move to retort anything making the grounder look to her. “His name _is_ Finn.”

“What?”

“People do not stop being when they die. His name was not stripped from him and his death is not the end of him. You remember him, correct? Therefore he still is. He is Finn.”

Orion looked down in thought until a small smile crept onto her face. Kylo moved to address Nyko who remained quiet behind them. It was then that one of the villagers passing by noticed the sky girl and stopped. Ry shrunk under her gaze until the woman muttered something she had only caught parts of and ran off toward the main bustle. Ry watched as the men stopped their work to see the new arrivals. Women exited their tents and the elders hushed, paying no heed to the children at their feet. The kids were the only ones who seemed not to care as they continued to fight each other, fits of giggles echoing through the otherwise still air.

“Kylo…” Ry frantically looked around her until she heard the familiar chuckle from behind her.

“They are not staring at me, Star. Oh, my apologies. _Heda.”_

“Shut up.” Her blue eyes scanned the small herd of grounders as they ventured closer. “Kylo. Seriously. What do I do?”

“Be you.”

“That’s easier for you to say.”

A dark scoff echoed from the girl. “Not as easy as you would believe.”

Orion looked over at her for answers when the woman who had first recognized her stepped forward. “Heda?” The sky girl opened her mouth to protest, but the woman had already knelt and bowed her head.

The blonde watched with disinterest as the rest of the village followed suit. She leaned against a nearby tree and watched as Orion looked at them all. The girl’s face softened and she walked up to the woman and knelt with her. “ Nou beuond kom me. Gyon op.” The woman’s eyes widened at the unexpected expression of equality. Ry gently helped her to her feet and motioned for the rest to follow. Kylo stiffened as a shocking realization washed over her: she’d never taught the sky girl how to say ‘Do not bow to me’.

Once a calm had settled over the initial excitement, Kylo kicked off of the tree and slipped into their native tongue so everyone could understand. “Clear the way. Heda needs rest.”

The group quickly cleared a path, mumbling apologies that Orion dismissed with a smile. Ry moved to be by Kylo and watched as the villagers soon went back to their duties, occasionally looking back at her. “I didn’t understand everything you said, but are you sure you’re not their leader?”

Kylo looked to the girl with distrust, but brushed it off at the innocent curiosity she found in the eyes staring back at her.  “I am not even of their clan. Let’s go, The longer we stay in the open the more the word of your presence spreads.” The blonde looked back at Nyko causing him to nod. He quickly departed to a hut, disappearing inside the door as Kylo nudged Ry forward. The brunette complied, allowing the grounder to escort her into a small shack.

“How long are we staying?” Orion flopped down to the floor, her head lolling to the side as her eyes searched the ceiling.

Kylo shook her head, ignoring the strange behavior typical of Skaikru. “Not long. While your leg rests someone will have to prepare you for Lexa. You must look the part, _Heda_.”

“Someone?” The brunette looked warily toward the blonde, who sighed.

“ _I_ will help you if you want.” Ry beamed and the grounder reluctantly sat behind her. “Gyon op.” The brunette obeyed, wincing slightly as she moved to a sitting position.

Kylo ran her fingers through the dark tresses, untangling the locks until she came across what remained of the Sky braid. She tugged lightly on the hair, alerting the attention of the sky girl.“This will have to go.” Orion paused a moment and nodded, and Kylo quickly freed the strands. “I do not understand why you are so attached to a braid.”

“My friend did it.” Kylo paused, understanding the implied meaning, before twisting a few hairs into a small braid. “Her name was Lucifer. You remind me of her a little bit.”

“How? My braids actually last.”

“I had it for weeks. I fought a war with that braid.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Orion gave a short laugh and looked down at her hands as the blonde continued to twist her hair into braids.

_Ry walked carefully through the trees, the uneven ground slowing her pace so she could look around the environment in wonder.  She stooped to peer at a colorful furry substance at the base of a tree. A small insect crawled around on the ground, a blade of grass perched on its back. The insect began to climb up the bark of the tree, winding its way around the cracks. Orion watched its ascent in fascination until it reached a small hole and deposited its find inside. The ant reappeared from the crevice and seemed to peer at the girl with an intensity equal to hers. She let out a laugh as the ant reared back on its hind legs and seemed to wave at her. She waved back and the ant crawled back down the tree and into the grass, quickly lost to the sight of the girl._

_“What the fuck are you doing?” Orion whipped her head around to see a redhead walking toward her, freckled forehead wrinkling in confusion. The brunette’s cheeks turned pink with embarrassment and the ginger sighed. “Leave it to me to befriend the weirdest person on Earth.”_

_Ry rolled her eyes and turned to the girl, who’d sat down beside her. “What do you want, Lu?” The redhead looked down at the ground, a smile stretching across her reddening face as she picked at the grass. The brunette laughed. “Oh my god, you’re blushing.”_

_“What? Am not!”_

_“Lu, your face matches your hair.”_

_“It’s hot out.”_

_“Or you found someone hot.” Luci continued to stare at the ground, ripping tufts of grass from the dirt. Orion sighed impatiently. “So are you gonna tell me about it, or…?”_

_“Okay, so I was talking to this guy-”_

_“Called it.”_

_“-and he told me about how there used to be these huge animals called elephants and they were bigger than houses, but there were these other animals called mice and they were really small but they scared the elephants and ate them after they died of fear.”_

_“Is this your idea of romantic?”_

_The ginger rolled her eyes. “No, but he was cute and he didn’t laugh at me because I didn’t know something.”_

_The blonde-streaked girl nodded. “So who is this guy?” Luci stayed silent, the blush spreading across her forehead. “Do I know him?” The ginger nodded slightly, biting her lip. “Oh no, tell me you’re not one of Bellamy’s Bitches.”_

_Her head shot up, face twisting with disgust “What? No! It’s Murphy, you dumbass!”_

_“That’s worse! He could be a murderer, Lu!”_

_“Well he hasn’t killed anyone yet.” Ry gave her a look and the redhead shrugged._

_“Looks like someone’s into the bad boy type.”_

_“I’m not into him. He was just nice to me.”_

_“Says your blush.”_

_“Shut up.”_

_Orion grinned and looked past her friend, movement catching her attention. “Hey, Murphy, you know mice are herbivores right?”_

_Luci froze, her face ashen, she cast a quick look behind her and color bloomed across her cheeks as she caught sight of the boy._

_Murphy looked at the brunette disinterestedly and nodded to the redhead before turning his attention to the sticks littering the forest floor. Lucifer jumped to her feet and sprinted into the nearby trees, casting glares at the snickering girl behind her. A root caught her foot and she tumbled to the ground, her face falling into the dirt. Orion laughed and Murphy turned around at the noise, a grin forming at the sight of the flustered ginger. Ry jumped to her feet and helped Luci to her feet._

_The redhead scowled as she stomped back to camp, her friend continuing to laugh at her side. “I hate you.”_

_“Thank me later.”_

“She was strong-willed, and she always spoke her mind, but she cared about people. She’d never admit it, but you could tell. She started a rebellion when she was twelve because she didn’t like how things were done. She found good in a murderer. More than once. She didn’t deserve to die. None of them did.” Orion tapped absentmindedly on her bracelet, letting the memories fade back to reality.

Kylo had moved in front of her, a small box in her hand. “Stay still.” The blonde mumbled and Ry’s eyes instinctively closed as the grounder’s hand drew closer to her face. Kylo carefully smeared the kohl in a neat black band around the Sky girl’s eyes, and when they opened, the Sky seemed to disappear.

She reminded Kylo of the grounders that came back from war hardened and desensitized to the world. A dark shadow had fallen over her once bright blue eyes and her hand ghosted over the metal bracelet. A small frown was etched on her face and her gaze lingered on the wall.

With a sigh the blonde sat back and placed the box lightly on the ground. “This friend, Luci, you say she cares about people?” Orion nodded. “You included?”

“Yeah, she was my first real friend down here.”

“Then I doubt she would approve of the frown you have been sporting.”

“It’s hard to smile, Kylo. I’ve lost everyone.”

“So have I. I understand you have been placed in a tough situation, but you are not the only one. You are the not the only one mourning your people, or feeling alone, or with no reason to be happy. So you do not get to pout, you do not get to frown, you do not get to give up. You have to be strong, you have to smile, and if not for you than for those that have passed.” Kylo was shoving the material back in the box, her eye avoiding the brunette’s. Once done she closed it and stood up not once glancing down at the girl who was now watching her with wide eyes. The blonde walked to the door only turning her head slightly to address Orion. “Nyko will meet you outside of the hut when you are ready.” Without waiting for a response Kylo left the small hut and went in search for the other healer.

After finding him looking at herbs, she informed him of what he was to be done. He nodded silently and left for Orion’s hut leaving Kylo to take a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair. She glanced back at the hut quickly only to have a villager call her name. She was relaying information about the war to an elder when Nyko’s hard steps could be heard coming closer. Kylo turned to see Orion, dressed in animal skins typically worn by Trikru leaders with a bow and quiver slung across her back, carrying herself with a newfound pride and meeting Kylo’s eyes with determination.

“Kylo, she is ready to go. We should hurry, Lexa doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” Kylo nodded to her fellow healer and turned to lead the way through the forest.

“Kylo.” The blonde stopped and turned back, surprised to hear authority ringing through Ry’s voice. The girl held out a neatly folded black fabric. “I believe this belongs to you.”

The healer furrowed her brow, confused by the sudden change in the brunette, and looked from her jacket to Nyko. “The forest is not safe. Your identity needs to be protected.” Nyko nodded at Kylo’s repetition of the prior instruction.

The brunette grinned. “You defy your heda?”

“I have never been good with authority.”

She laughed. “I figured that out a while ago.” She sighed as Kylo remained motionless, and reached behind her, pulling a hood over her head. “Take your damn jacket, Kylo. I’m fine.” The blonde chuckled and shrugged the fabric over her shoulders, sighing in relief as the dark material blocked out the harsh sunlight.

“Ready?” Kylo looked to Orion, who nodded, before signalling to Nyko to start ahead. “I have no wish to see Lexa’s fury…” She paused noticing the brunette’s lack of attention, her eyes scanning the villagers as she twisted a blue stone that hung from her neck. The grounder’s eyes fell to the girl’s wrist, which was now bare, a pale ring marking where the metal had been only minutes ago. “Did you choose to forget your people so soon?”

Orion’s attention snapped back to the blonde, and her jaw clenched. “The village is as safe as the forest.” She ignored the silent question in the grounder’s eyes and looked back to the people. “We should go.”

Kylo nodded and stepped through the first group of trees, towards the direction of the capital. They walked for several minutes in silence, winding through trees, always keeping sight of Nyko’s large frame up ahead. Kylo continuously glanced behind her; the Sky girl moved with the silence of Trikru, lightly picking her way across roots and branches with ease.

Kylo turned towards her, the question of the strange behavior back at the village on her tongue, but a strange look crossed the brunette’s face and she quickly shoved the blonde. She hadn’t been expecting it, and the force knocked her to the ground.

“Why did you-” She stopped as she saw the brunette brandishing her bow, her face a hard mask as she aimed the arrow at something behind the grounder. Kylo turned her head to see, only catching a glimpse of white before Orion kicked her leg.

“Don’t move,” she hissed in Trigedasleng, her eyes never leaving her target, “Maunon.” Kylo scowled at the order, but her anger dissipated as she heard a metallic click from behind. Ry pulled back the string of her bow and she chuckled darkly before speaking in English. “Who do you think is faster? You or me? Because I promise you, even if you manage to hit me, I’ll take you down too.” There was no response from the enemy behind Kylo, but she could sense the uncertainty. Ry scanned her opponent with a strange mechanical look in her eyes, and with a slight twitch of her eyebrow, Kylo knew she’d found a weak spot. She adjusted her aim a hair and smirked, reminding the grounder of a hunter cornering his prey. “Run home.” She released the arrow and a man let out a panicked scream. Kylo jerked her head to see the man fumbling around his back before dropping his gun and sprinting into the trees.

“You missed.” The blonde let out the breath she’d been holding, too absorbed in the short, intense moment.

Orion knelt beside her, quickly checking for any sign of injury, before shaking her head. “My hands are already stained with enough blood.”  

The blonde stared at her, suddenly remembering a story she’d been told as a child. Her voice barely broke a whisper. “Heda?”

The brunette stared at her for a second before shaking her head; she returned her bow behind her and stood upright, brushing off her clothes as Kylo noted the return of the cold, vacant stare. “We should hurry. Many people have stressed Lexa’s impatience.”

Kylo stood and turned back towards their destination, judging by the girl’s tone that questions would yield no answers. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blonde-streaked girl lean down and brush her hand along a flower.

_Ry rounded a corner and quickly punched a code into the keypad, the doors closing with a hiss a second before Wick slammed into the plexiglass._

_“I’ll kill you, Asher.” His muffled voice sounded through the barrier._

_She snorted. “Yeah, I completely believe that you’d murder your best friend.”_

_He scowled. “You know I can hack into this in seconds, right?”_

_Ry stuck her tongue out and opened her mouth to retort when a hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up to see Sinclair wearing an amused expression._

_He gestured to the boy on the opposite side of the door with a smile. “Let him in, Ryan. We don’t need one of our best engineers to get floated over a silly prank.”_

_Ry nodded and swallowed, quickly entering the access code. Kyle stepped through and playfully punched her shoulder. Keeping her head down to avoid eye contact with Sinclair, she followed the two to a work station. Raven, Monty, and Jasper had already crowded around their usual spot. The two boys, who had been messing around with random chemicals and plants, turned and cheered at the new arrivals._

_“Yes! Ark Science Club can begin!” Jasper crowed and jumped from his chair, knocking a beaker over. “Shit,” he mumbled and hurried rushed around to clean the mess._

_Raven shook her head at him and turned to Sinclair with a curious expression. “We finished the Tesla coils yesterday. Any new projects?”_

_Monty looked up from the table he was trying to help clean. “Can we play freeze tag again? With liquid nitrogen?”_

_Sinclair shook his head, a frown wrinkling his forehead. “No. Don’t you remember what happened last time? You broke a gear they needed to fix the ventilation system. I had to work double hours for a week.”_

_Wick chuckled and leaned against a counter, twirling a screwdriver. “Yeah, poor Sinclair had to spend more time at his dream job instead of babysitting us.” Kyle grinned at his mentor and kicked off the counter. “So what_ do _you have for us?”_

_Sinclair shook his head and reached into a duffel bag, producing two robot toys. Raven grabbed one from him, moving its arms and legs experimentally._

_“This is a bit of a step down, Sinclair.” She frowned at it. “I mean, what are we even supposed to do with these? They’re junk.”_

_“Exactly. So make them better.” He took the toy from her and handed it to Ry. “They’re going to be dismantled and used for spare parts, but I thought you guys could play around with them before that.”_

_Jasper joined the small huddle, the spill forgotten for the moment. “So...you want us to make these better just so you can destroy it after we’re done?”_

_Ry fiddled with the bot for a moment before her eyebrows shot up and she went to the corner of the room in search of parts. Wick watched her with a chuckled and turned back to Sinclair, who looked towards Ryan with a proud smile. She found what she needed and carried the supplies the the center table, stealing the screwdriver from Wick as she passed him._

_Sinclair turned his attention back to the annoyed teenagers in front of him. “You could use programming and repair practice.” They groaned and he nodded towards Ry. “Ryan has the right idea.”_

_She looked up at the name, only to see all eyes focused on her. She immediately looked back down, focused on the task of opening the machine’s main operating system. The other teenagers shrugged, Monty and Jasper grabbing the other toy as Raven and Wick made their way over to Ry. Wick took the seat closest to her, ruffling the short, dark locks fondly before picking up part of the robot. She glared at him before raking a hand through her hair, straightening the strands that fell a few inches from her scalp. The room filled with music as Sinclair twisted a knob of the radio on his desk, and, before Kyle could wail along to the song, Ry shoved the arm of the robot into his open mouth. He scowled but upon seeing her grin, his face softened and he went to work. The teens easily formed a system, working together in harmony as they talked idly._

_Raven sighed as she finished upgrading the toy’s leg so it had rocket thrusters. “I feel like a kid again.”_

_Wick smirked. “You’re still a kid, Reyes. Who do you think you’re kidding?”_

_She huffed. “You’re the most immature person I’ve ever met.” She scowled at him as he laughed. “God, I wish I wasn’t the only girl in this ‘club’ with you jerks.” Wick looked over to Ry with a laugh, his eyebrow raised, and she kicked him without looking up from her work. He let out a choked yelp and Raven threw her piece of the bot on the table. “I’ve had enough of you, Kyle.” She cast a glance to Ry, who had remained silent like usual, and her face softened. “Sorry Ryan.”_

_Ry gave her a small smile as she walked over to help Monty and Jasper. Wick scooched over so he was right next to her. “We don’t need her anyway.”_

_She laughed under her breath and glanced to the clock. Noticing the time, she quickly stood up, but Wick grabbed her arm._

_“What are you doing? I have to go or I’ll be late to guard training.” She mumbled under her breath. He stared at her arm, his thumb brushing over a small purple spot that peeked out from the sleeve of her shirt. He looked up at her, a question in his eyes that he already knew the answer to. She cleared her throat and looked down at the discarded pieces of the toy. “Training was a little rough yesterday.”_

_His voice fell to a whisper as he tightened his grip around her arm. “You didn’t have training yesterday.” She refused to meet his eyes and his jaw clenched. “We could report them, Ry. You should’ve years ago. You don’t deserve this.”_

_She shook her head, silently warning him to be quiet before someone heard. Just then, Bellamy poked his head through the door, eyes searching until they found Ry. “C’mon, Asher, Kane’ll kill you if you’re late again.” She nodded and looked to Wick, who let go of her reluctantly and lightly shoved her toward the door._

_“Boo! Party pooper!” Jasper yelled and threw his section of their bot towards her. Monty and Raven laughed before joining him, and Ry ran out of the room laughing, her hands over her head._

Nyko paced along the line separating bustling civilization from the calm of the wilderness, the tower looming over him. He tugged at the hairs on his chin, staring into the darkness of the trees. He turned to address a guard, ready to bark orders for a search party, when he saw two hooded figures appear between the wood. As they came closer, he shouted in relief and ran towards them.

“Heda, I hope you’re well.” He bowed his head slightly to the taller of the two.

The girl chuckled as she pulled the hood from her head. “Yes, Nyko, thank you.”

He nodded and turned to the girl cloaked in black, his face darkening into a stern frown. “What kept you, Kylo? You were expected long ago.”

Kylo’s eyes flickered with defiance and she opened her mouth to retort when Orion stepped in front of her. “Nyko, it’s my fault. I got distracted by the wildlife and didn’t notice a Maunon, but Kylo protected me. She...she saved my life.” She turned around and smiled at the blonde, who stared back in confusion.

Nyko scrutinized the two girls. “Why do I believe it was the other way around?”

Ry shrugged, a small smile curving her lips. “Believe what you wish, but you'll have to take my word for it.”

He smiled, understanding her intentions, and turned to give Kylo a nod of approval. “Well done, Nightwalker.” He looked back to the brunette. “Welcome to Polis, Heda. Take as much time as you need to recover from your...encounter. Lexa is waiting for you in the tower when you’re ready, but I must return to the village now.”

She nodded to him in silent dismissal and he walked past them into the trees with a quick pat of encouragement on her shoulder.

“Why did you lie?” Kylo waited for th girl to turn her attention to her. “You could have proven yourself as Heda.”

Casting a quick glance to the distracted guards, she grinned. “But I'm not Heda, remember?” Kylo rolled her eyes and nodded, though it lacked certainty. The brunette sighed, reaching up to run her hand through her dark locks only for her fingers to catch on the braids. “Take it as a ‘thank you’.” The blonde tilted her head. “You call me ‘Star’ but I'm not the one in the center of the universe. And if I _am_ a star, I have a duty to provide warmth and light the way for those around me.  But how can I do that if I'm drowning myself in darkness?” She pressed her lips together, staring at the trees thoughtfully. “You reminded me of that.” She shook the serious expression from her face and looked to Kylo with a smile. “Besides, it seems like you get in trouble with him a lot. I figured you could use a break.”

Ky raised a brow at the girl in amusement. Orion had been able to read the grounder from the inception of their meeting. The was one thing that the blonde truly respected; Ry was always observing rather than joining in on the action. After seeing the strange look she was being given, she laughed.“Ready?” She gestured towards the stone arch, the main entryway into the thriving capital.

Ry nodded but stayed frozen, her jaw slack as she stared in awe at the giant stone cylinder towering above them. Kylo snickered and grabbed the girl’s wrist in an attempt to pull her forward. The blonde-streaked girl hissed in pain at the contact, her hand jerking back at the same time Kylo released her hold. The blonde furrowed her brow with concern and reached for it, gently this time. Orion complied, allowing the grounder to raise her arm, the healer’s eyes quickly assessing the damage. A neat line of red dots wound around the pale skin and a small cut, oddly resembling the outline of a knife, framed a quickly forming bruise in the center.

Kylo’s eyes flashed to the girl’s as she let go. “What happened to it?”

Ry rubbed her wrist carefully, wincing as she brushed against the bruise. “Not everyone accepts my Sky origins. In the village, this man came in to give me clothes and he recognized the bracelet as a symbol of Skaikru. He held a knife to my throat and wanted me to prove my loyalties to Trikru. I value my life more than an accessory.” Kylo raised a brow and the brunette laughed. “Okay, you caught me. It was a reminder of my people, but I guess if I were to die its purpose would be lost anyway. Besides, I don’t think I could really forget.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I agreed to give it to him. The wristband was designed to stay on us forever; it was connected to our skin. He had to pry it off with a knife and he wasn’t exactly gentle. He ran off after that.”

“He should be punished. A thief is a petty crime, but stealing from Heda-”

“It’s been taken care of. I spoke to the elders and it seems he already chose his price: banishment.”

“But a crime against the heda is punishable by death.”

Ry scowled and mumbled under her breath, “I won’t be like the Ark.” She shook her head. “Come on, we’ve wasted enough time.”  

Kylo turned on her heel and strolled through the stone arch, pulling her hood further over her face. Like before, people seemed to freeze in place at the sight of Orion, but this time she didn’t cower or hide. She straightened her shoulders, staring straight ahead as she followed the blonde into the entryway of the tower. They climbed the winding stairs, receiving nods from guards as they passed, until they entered an open room with a balcony overlooking the city. Kylo scowled as her eyes landed on a throne with swords impaled in the back while Ry wandered over to the wall, her attention captivated by the large painting in the center. It featured a dark-haired woman with deep blue eyes that seemed to gaze intensely upon the room and lips turned up slightly in a smile that emanated kindness. Orion reached up, tracing from the edge of a stern jaw down along a loose lone blonde strand.

_Ry toddled along behind her parents through the chrome corridor. It was sixth birthday, and to celebrate, her parents had brought her to Mecha Station so she could watch them work._

_“Okay, Ryan.” Her mom led her by the shoulders toward an empty table in the center of the room. “Stay here and be a good boy. We'll come get you after work, okay?” Ry nodded, obedient as always. Her mom smiled and kissed her forehead. “Happy Birthday. Have fun.”_

_“Stay out of trouble, kiddo.” Her dad ruffled the short black locks, a fond smile on his face, before taking his wife's hand and walking with her through a sliding door._

_Ry smiled as she watched them leave. Affection was rare from them, and it only ever happened in public. She closed her eyes, committing the moment to memory, knowing she would probably have to dig it out later that night to endure the pain and fool herself into believing at least a part of them loved her. When she opened her eyes, she was met with the scrutinizing gaze of a boy._

_She jerked back, knocking into the table, and he rubbed his chin in thought._

_“Hello?” She squeaked. He looked a few years older than her and his blonde curls fell messily over his forehead._

_He hummed and stuck his hand out abruptly. “Wick. Kyle Wick.”_

_She hesitantly took his hand and shook. “R-Ryan Asher.”_

_He squinted at her for a second before throwing his arm around her shoulders and leading her away from the table. She tried not to wince at the sudden contact. He halted in front of a smaller table, a series of objects scattered over the surface._

_“You're new around here, Ryan, right?” She nodded. “Do me a favor: solve these puzzles.” He dropped his arm, only to push between her shoulder blades, causing her to stumble forward._

_She looked at the table and its objects uncertainly. A small multicolored cube, a broken toy helicopter, a collection of cylinders of various widths, and a piece of paper with a long paragraph were laid out in a straight line on the smooth metal surface, each with a small laminated card containing instructions._

_She picked up the cube first. ‘Solve this, complete the other challenges, and then return it to as it is now.’ She looked around the room and walked over to an empty desk, picking up a pencil and a piece of paper, before returning to the blonde boy, who grinned at her actions. She twisted the cube around, recording every step on the page, and returned it to the table with a small smile once each side contained only one color._

_Next she reached for the card beneath the cylinders. ‘Make a tower with the thinnest on the bottom. Put the cube on top after.’  She examined each one, comparing sizes, before finding the smallest and placing it on the table. She set the next biggest on top and continued the process. The tower collapsed several times, but she simply restarted. She smiled proudly as she stood on her tiptoes to put the last cylinder on top, the tower swaying but not falling. She ran to the far side of the room, picking up a chair and carrying it back to the puzzle, the legs hitting her knees as she walked. She set it down and climbed on top, gently setting the cube on the largest cylinder._

_Clamoring down from the chair, she excitedly moved on to the helicopter. ‘Fix and land on cube. Don't break the tower.’  Picking up the toy, she twisted it around, examining it in the limited artificial light. She pressed random buttons on the controller but nothing happened. She wandered around the room, picking up random tools, before sitting down on the floor. She pried both toy and controller open and fiddled with the wiring, sparks startling her into dropping it. She worked for a few minutes until she found the cause of the problem and cheered. Vaguely aware of the boy’s laughter, she fixed the error and turned on the controller. Ry moved a lever and the helicopter motor hummed with energy. Pressing another, it shot into the air. She toyed with it for awhile before taking a deep breath and flying the copter over. She bit her lip until it bled as she focused on the landing, her breath leaving her in a giant sigh as the tower stayed._

_She happily jumped up from the floor and looked at the paragraph. It was a word problem littered with numbers and equations. ‘Solve. No calculator.’ She stared blankly at the page for a few seconds. Her teachers had only just started teaching her math. She frowned and tapped the eraser against her chin, staring down at the numbers that seemed to mock her._

_“How old are you?” She jumped at the sound of his voice._

_“Six.”_

_His eyebrows shot up but he made no comment. “You don't have to do that one.”_

_“Shh. I'm thinking.”_

_He smiled and she set to work, scribbling on the white sheet. After twenty minutes, she stretched and dropped her pencil to the table, a pile of eraser shavings surrounding her._

_“Answer?”_

_“Ten.” She beamed when he nodded and then pursed her lips in thought. “Is that how old you are?”_

_He nodded and she returned the gesture before climbing back on the chair. She gently lifted the helicopter and cube from the tower before climbing back down and following her hastily scrawled instructions backwards to return the cube to the random disarray she’d found it in. She set the cube back on the table and turned to Wick with a proud smile._

_He stared at her, a grin fighting his mouth. “How did you know that was the order of easiest to hardest?”_

_She shrugged. “I just picked at random.” She looked back at the table. “Do you have more?”_

_“Not now, but I can make some.” She beamed and he leaned closer towards her to peer into her face. “What color are your eyes?”_

_Ry thought for a minute before she shook her head. “I don't know.” She looked down at her hands as he pursed his lips in thought._

_“C’mon. I wanna show you something.”_

_She followed behind him, staring around her in awe at the strange equipment on the shelves. He led her down a hall and through a door. He sat her down in front of a mirror and she immediately looked down. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look._

_She saw a boy. Too small for his age. Dark hair with a little spot of blonde. Sallow skin sunken in around the cheeks and eyes. Those eyes a blue color darkened by a haunted expression. Clothes too big for his thin frame. Faded yellow and bright purple marks peeking from the fabric. It churned her stomach as she realized she was looking at herself._

_“You're not a boy.” Wick mumbled._

_“I-”_

_“A boy wouldn't have figured it out like you did.” She looked down at her hands and found herself nodding. “Why?”_

_“Mommy and Daddy wanted a son. They got me.”_

_Wick’s face fell as he looked at her through the mirror. “What's your real name?”_

_“Orion.”_

_“Ryan!”_

_She flinched at the sound of her father’s voice. Wick frowned and led her from the room. He stopped at the door and turned to her. “Your secret’s safe with me.” She nodded and made to walk past him but he caught her arm. “And Ry? I had a lot of fun solving puzzles with you.” She raised a brow. “You. You were my puzzle, and I still have to finish solving. But I have deduced that you’re the kind of person I'm looking for in my best friend search.” A bang echoed around the hall and he noticed she jumped. “You should come back again soon.”_

_Ry smiled and nodded before running down the hall towards the sound of her father’s growing shouts._

“That's me.” Orion breathed as she stared above her in awe, her hand curled around the small blue stone and the great Heda cast a shadow over her.

“I will be the one to decide that.” Both Ry and Kylo jumped slightly at the sudden noise, the owner having entered the room without earning notice. Their heads whipped around to find an impassive brunette. A tall, bulky man stood behind her, completely filling the space of the door.

Kylo glanced out of the corner of her eye to see the blonde-streaked girl, blue eyes squinted in obvious distrust, incline her head ever so slightly towards the newcomer. “Lexa I presume.”

The Commander seemed to ignore the comment as she intently analyzed Orion. After a moment, she quickly turned toward the man, who handed her two weapons, before locking eyes with the sky girl. “Sword or spear?”

“Spear.” Lexa smirked and threw her the sword. Ry caught the hilt and stared at it blankly. “I’ve never used a sword.”

“Heda was a master of all forms of combat.”

“Her first time?” Lexa shrugged and handed the man the spear, earning a glare from the blonde-streaked girl. “You don’t fight your own battles, heda?”

The Commander’s eyes narrowed. “Make sure to draw blood.” She instructed the man in her native tongue. He nodded and stepped forward, tossing the spear from hand to hand as he advanced. Kylo pushed off the wall and moved to stand in between the man and Orion. “You will not interfere, Nightwalker.” The Commander’s voice sliced through the air, halting the movement of the blonde, who noticed two guards had appeared in the doorway.

“Her name is Kylo.” Ry growled as she strode forward. Lexa’s eyes narrowed at the rebuke, but the sky girl ignored her and turned to the blonde, nodding her head towards the wall and flashing a reassuring smile. Kylo glanced warily toward the man and guards and shook her head.

“Restrain the Nightwalker.” The heda ordered over her shoulder and the guardsmen quickly moved next to the blonde, yanking her arms behind her back and pulling her towards the wall.

Orion started towards the brunette but the man stepped in her path. She looked up at him defiantly. “You save my life only to end it, Tatonga?” Her scowl passed him to land on Lexa. “And here I thought I held some value.”

Tatonga glanced uncertainly back to his heda, only to be met with a cold glare. He grimaced and raised the spear to strike. Ry quickly lifted the sword above her head, blocking the blow as the force of the collision pushed her back a pace. A metallic chink rang through the air as the spearhead slid along the edge of the blade. The two pulled back and gripped their weapons tighter as they circled, measuring each other up. Orion’s eyes brightened and she charged. She swung the sword towards his hand holding the spear, but Tatonga successfully blocked her. As he drew back, she took a step forward, intending to land a kick to his stomach. He caught her foot and threw her to the ground, and the sword skittered across the floor as she rolled away from it. Tatonga smirked as he stood over her, the spear raised above her head. She kicked his foot out from under him and rolled to the side as he lost his balance, the spear planting into the ground with a crack. Ry struggled to her feet and ran to retrieve the sword. She grasped the hilt when Tatonga grabbed a fistful of her cloak and pulled, the tie cutting off her air as the jagged spearhead pressed against her jaw.

Kylo jerked forward but froze upon noticing something dark pass over the girl’s face, a cold glint in her eyes that made her look dangerous. She found herself wondering if that was the last thing Raiko and the others had seen, if they had known they were as good as dead, if they were afraid. Orion’s mouth gasped vainly for air, Tatonga chuckling darkly in her ear.  

“Drop the sword, Sky girl.”

Her fingers twitched around the hilt hesitantly and she swallowed. “You should know I killed the last person who choked me.” Before he could respond, she plunged the sword along her side. She snatched the spear as Tatonga fell to the floor, his hands pressing into the wound on his side. She held the spear above his throat and pinned his chest down with her foot. “Count yourself lucky I’m not the same person as I was.”

Lexa advanced toward Orion, her sword raised. Kylo opened her mouth to shout a warning, but the blonde-streaked girl spun sharply, the spearhead meeting the Commander’s blade.

“I thought you’d never used a sword.” Lexa remarked, her eyes scanning the sky girl coldly.

“I’m a quick learner.”

The heda’s eyes drifted to the girl’s side. Blood bloomed at Ry’s waist, turning the material a dark color. Lexa nodded and withdrew her blade. “You fight well. You have given me reason to believe you truly are Heda.” She sat upon her throne and waved a hand dismissively at the guards.

They loosened their grip on Kylo, who wrenched her arms free and moved to Orion’s side. She bent to examine the wound, but the blonde-streaked girl pushed her away, stepped off of Tatonga, and tossed her weapons away in one fluid motion.

“Help him. His wound’s deep.” Kylo stared at her friend incredulously. “Please, Kylo.” The blonde scowled and knelt next to him reluctantly.

Ry’s hand dropped to her side as she approached the throne where Lexa watched her with a small, amused smile. “Do you always treat your enemies before yourself?”

“He’s not my enemy, and I’ve had worse.”

The Commander nodded. “A very Heda thing to do. Yet again you prove me wrong.”

“But you still doubt me.”

“I don’t want you to be. But there is one thing that will prove you’re her, and nothing can argue it.” She stood from her throne and gestured to Orion’s side. “Show me your wound.” Ry’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she drew back the cloak and raised the hem of her shirt. The wound was minor. The blade had only grazed her side, but blood stained her skin red. Lexa’s eyebrow twitched and she mumbled beneath her breath, “So it's not a trick.” At the blonde-streaked girl’s curious expression, she nodded, her stony mask returning, and returned to her throne. “You should make use of your healer and have that treated.”

“I'll live.”

Lexa ran her hand down her face with a sigh. “Too many things match for this to be a coincidence. You _must_ be Heda. There is only one thing left to do.”

She motioned to a guard, who hurried from the room and returned with a small box. He knelt in front of the throne and Lexa relieved him of the object. She lifted the lid to reveal a long, thin bit of metal ending in a sharp point and a small container full of a black substance.

“Please remove your shirt, Heda.”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

Lexa looked up at her blankly. “Every heda must have a mark. You will receive Heda’s as your body is new.”

Ry glanced over her shoulder to Kylo, who nodded before returning to Tatonga. The sky girl sighed and untied the string around her neck, the cloak dropping to the floor. “Fine.” She stepped closer to the brunette, who motioned for the girl to turn around. Orion obeyed and Lexa lifted the back of her shirt.

Her face paled and she looked to Kylo. “Did you do this?”

The blonde stood from her spot and strolled to see what had elicited such a reaction from the stony heda. Four pale diagonal lines, two parallel on each side, tilted from her ribs and waist down towards the sky girl’s lower back before coming to a stop next to her spine. Kylo frowned and shook her head.

Lexa let the cloth fall and stomped in front of Orion. “How do you have Heda’s mark? Your body should be new!”

Ry grimaced and reached behind to trace the scars. “Lashings.” Kylo caught her eye and the sky girl smiled sadly. “Not all my memories are happy.”

Lexa sighed, her eyes still roaming the girl warily. “Well, Heda, I invite you to join me here at Polis. We have prepared a room for you if you shall wish to have it.”

“Thank you, Lexa, but you will understand why I choose not to.” Orion walked past her and picked the cloak from the floor before placing it around her shoulders and pulling the hood over her head. Lexa nodded, her eyes simultaneously darkening with resentment and brightening with relief. Ry turned to Kylo, who was fighting off laughter. “I think the village will be a nice place to spend some time, don't you?”

Kylo grinned, nodding her head, and led Orion out the door, down the steps, and into the woods. Once in the safety of the trees, the blonde burst out laughing.

“Did you see her face? She wanted to kill you!”

Ry smiled. “She already tried to.”

Kylo chuckled. “Let me look at that.” She moved the material away from the wound and assessed the damage. She pulled a small container from her bag and pressed the contents into the wound. “I am happy someone finally defied Lexa.”

“Yeah, she needed to be thrown from her high horse.” She chewed her lip in thought. “Do you think she was checking for black blood?”

Kylo shrugged and wound a long trail of cloth around the girl’s middle. “Maybe. She probably believed I was trying to fool her with a false Heda.”

“But I thought Nyko said Heda wasn't a Nightblood. I thought it was the one after.”

“A _bad_ attempt at a fake Heda.”  The blonde chuckled. “Yes, every descended from the first Commander has black blood and the next Heda is chosen from them, but _Heda's_ blood was red and she never had children.” She patted the bandage in place and stood to her feet. “I see you paid more attention to Nyko’s lessons than mine.”

“Em nou ste ridiyo.” The brunette smirked. “Okay, it _is_ true, but his _were_ more interesting.”

Kylo humphed and turned to look into the trees. “If we do not find another Maunon, we should be able to reach the village before nightfall.” Orion have a short laugh and began to walk in the direction the blonde had pointed. Kylo jogged to her side, placing a hand on the brunette’s shoulder. “You did well, Star. You proved yourself as Heda. Lexa is simply threatened because she knows you can take her power.” Orion nodded and Kylo sighed, knowing her words had been lost to the girl who had already absorbed herself in her thoughts.

The two walked in relative silence the rest of the way. Hours passed and the sky darkened. The forest had become so dark they could barely find their way when they caught sight of firelight peeking through the trees.

“Ah, home sweet home.” Ry mumbled.

Kylo turned to her with a strange look and shook her head with a laugh. “You are strange, Star.”

“You know, if you keep calling me that, I might just have to make you ‘Wars’.”

The blonde tilted her head. “Because you think my people are warlike?”

“No.” The brunette sighed and tugged at her braids. “Geez, your lack of culture is going to make this friendship difficult.”

The grounder grinned. “That just makes it more fun.” She laughed and scampered toward the light.

Orion giggled as the blonde disappeared into the trees. She turned her face up to the sky and, clutching the charm around her neck, sighed at the sight of the millions of stars above her. Her eyes scanned the darkness and landed on a familiar constellation, the Hunter twinkling above her.

She smiled faintly. “Goodbye, Orion.” She mumbled and, turning her face back to the trees, strode toward the welcoming glow of the village.

_Ry ran into her room and climbed onto the bed. Her parents had talked over dinner about how their station of the Ark would see Earth that night. She crawled across the mattress, her small legs tangling in the messy sheets from that morning, and pressed her hands against the window._

_At first, all she could see were stars, billions of tiny specks interrupting the blanket of eternal darkness. Her eyes roamed and she mentally greeted each star she knew by name and assigned a nickname to those she didn't. She'd just bid Sirius a good evening when she saw a splash of blue at the corner of her window._

_She pressed her face against the glass as Earth came into view, the light of the sun illuminating the greens and blues of the surface and the whispy white and grays of the atmosphere. Her jaw dropped as she stared. She’d never seen anything like it. Nothing in her short four years of life had ever looked so beautiful and she knew nothing would ever compare. Her breath fogged the glass and she wiped at it furiously, afraid to miss a second of the beautiful planet so far from her._

_“Hello, Earth, I'm Orion. No, not the constellation, silly.” She giggled and leaned against the glass. “Have you met my friend, the moon? I usually talk to her at night, but she’s not here today for some reason. Maybe she heard you were coming and just got so nervous she forgot about our daily talk. But that's okay. I'm sure I'll like talking to you, too.” She talked to the Earth for hours, well past when her parents had gone to bed._

_A yawn broke free and her head lolled against the glass. “One day, I'm going to really meet you, and it'll be the best day ever.” She drifted off shortly after, her dreams full of Earth and her adventures on its surface._


	11. Anobrain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Left. Left. Left, right, left.  
> Finn goes on an adventure or two  
> Orion chills with grounders and hey I guess they aren't just murderous Vikings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been forever. So, I'm not dead (though this chapter sometimes made me feel like it) and I've finally got this one written. It's kinda (really) long so enjoy. I'm not gonna make any promises about how long next one will take me because I'll have some hardcore tests the next few weeks, but I'm hoping it'll be sooner because I've got a better grip on my ideas.
> 
> Carry on, my wayward readers  
> -Eri

Left. Right. Left. Right. Just keep moving. Left. Right. Left. Don’t Stop. Right. Stopping means dying. He didn't need the grounder to tell him that. The binding tugged at his wrists and he stumbled forward. Right-right-left. He tumbled into the mud, the squishy muck coating his face. He raised himself up just enough to breathe before falling back to the earth. He was exhausted. He didn't care what happened next. In. Out. In. Out. The boy next to him shook him as the horse began to move and his face grated against the dirt. In. Out. The other delinquent looked around in a panic. His eyes fluttered shut and he focused on his breathing, on staying alive if for only a few more minutes.

“Finn.”

His eyes snapped open at the voice. Her voice. So clear, as if she was standing there. He turned his head around him frantically in search of her but he only met the panicked eyes of his fellow prisoner. With a sigh, he fell back to the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” 

He groaned and raised his tied hands to cover his ears but her voice continued to bounce around his skull. His back seared with pain as the uneven ground bit into his skin.

“You can't just give up. Get off your ass and  _ move _ .” 

He felt a soft kick against his leg and turned his head, expecting to find the other delinquent looming over him, but he only saw bright blue eyes and a mischievous grin fading into the air. 

He froze and turned towards the other boy, who was looking frantically between Finn and the grounder. “Did you see that?” Finn croaked and the delinquent turned to him with a shocked expression.

“You need to get up, Finn.” The boy hissed, his eyes trained on the grounder, and slowed his pace to avoid notice. “He’ll kill you.”

“He’s right.” Finn felt a light pressure on his stomach and he turned to see Orion sitting cross-legged on top of him. “Whatever plans this guy has, he doesn’t need two of you.” He just stared at her. She looked exactly like the last time he’d seen her: loose hair that no matter how many times she pushed it back would always fall into her eyes, those deep blues that always seemed to burn with an intense light, jeans peppered with holes and covered in mud, a patched shirt too light for the bitter cold seeping into the air, the five-pointed charm hanging around her neck that was the same shade as her eyes, and the metal band locked around her wrist. “And I’m not letting you be the one he kills. So get up, damn it.”  

He stared at her in shock and she smacked his chest in frustration. The force of the blow rippled through his torso and he scrambled to his feet, the girl vanishing in the process. He looked around him in a panic, searching for the blonde-streaked girl. There was no sign of her and all he found was his fellow prisoner staring at him as if he’d grown two heads. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” 

Before Finn could answer, the ropes yanked forward and the two were urged into a sprint behind the horse. The boys struggled to keep their footing as they stumbled over roots and stones until the animal came to an abrupt stop. The boys hurtled toward the creature as its rider dismounted and stomped towards them.

He threw a canteen at them and leaned against the horse to stand guard. Finn watched warily as the boy threw himself toward the water, but before he could reach the container, the grounder grinned and slapped his steed, which galloped into the trees. Finn’s feet tangled together in his hurried struggle to keep up, and the other delinquent screamed as the ground shredded his skin. The horse slowed and the grounder’s laughter echoed behind them. Finn looked to the boy, who had curled into a protective ball. With the other prisoner’s words echoing in his ears, Finn gave him a light kick as the voice of their captor grew nearer, but the boy only groaned and pressed his face further into the dirt. 

Finn yanked the sky boy to his feet just as their kidnapper emerged from the trees. He glared at them and took a swig from the canteen before spitting at their feet and returning to his mount atop the horse. Finn glared after the grounder as the animal resumed its trot and pulled the boys forward. 

The other prisoner sent a grateful look to the long-haired boy. “Thanks, Finn, I don't know why-”

“Don't worry about it. You did the same for me…” He trailed off, realizing he didn't know the delinquent’s name.

“Ryan.” The boy smiled and Finn gave a stiff nod before turning away, the name settling in his stomach like a weight as a pair of bright blue eyes flashed in his mind. 

_ The light of the fire beckoned to her like the villagers surrounding it. The smell of food wafted through the air atop the smoke and chatter mingled with tribal music. Cheers of ‘Heda’  rang after Orion as she wove her way through the crowd in search of Kylo. _

They hadn't walked much further when Ryan fell. They were both exhausted, their bodies craving nourishment and rest, but whenever Finn felt like he couldn't take another step, her voice screamed in his ear or she materialized from the air with a furious expression. Now, he fell to his knees beside his friend, urging the boy to get up as the horse came to a halt. The grounder jumped from his saddle and marched over to them, orders to get up shooting from his mouth. Finn briefly thought of staying there, the temptation to rest much stronger now that his weight was off his feet.

“Are we really going to do this again?” Orion’s voice rang through his head and he looked up to see her standing with her arms crossed over her chest. Finn sighed and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't figure out what she was or why she was there, but he knew she wasn’t real. Both Ryan and the grounder acted as if they couldn’t see or hear her. She couldn’t be real. If she was, then... Ry rolled her eyes and pushed her hair back. “Stopping means dying.”

The long-haired boy struggled to his feet as she pulled on his arm. “He's exhausted. He can't continue.” Finn faced the grounder but his words were also meant for the girl.

“Better him than you.”

Finn’s eyes widened at her cold tone, but his attention turned to the grounder. The warrior walked over to Ryan and yanked him up by his hair. The boy looked nearly dead: his jaw slack and eyes lifeless. The grounder unsheathed his blade and Finn scrambled forward. “No! Please!”

The kidnapper chuckled darkly and drew the machete across Ryan’s throat before dropping the body to the ground. He walked towards Finn, who instinctively backed away. “Count yourself lucky. I need you to speak to the Commander.” He tossed Finn a canteen before returning to the horse. The sky boy gulped the water down before he could think better of it. The creature took a step and Finn rushed forward, determined not to fall on his face again. As he passed under the canopy of leaves above, he glanced over his shoulder at his fallen friend and mumbled a soft ‘May we meet again’ before returning his gaze ahead of him.

Orion ambled beside him, almost seeming to flaunt her freedom. “You can thank me later for saving your ass, Spacewalker.”

“I let him die.” Finn hissed, glancing to the grounder who paid no mind. 

“At least it’s not your blood mixing with the dirt.”

“He was one of us. Our people. Our friend.” 

“He wasn't  _ you _ .” Her eyes steeled over as she glared up at him in defiance.

“Who are you?  _ What  _ are you?” She tilted her head to the side and Finn shook his head. She looked like Ry, but she didn't act like her, not completely. “You're not Orion. You're not real.”

The girl laughed and spun away from him. “Clever boy. I knew I didn't just like you for your hair. Or your shoulders.” She winked at him and ran back to his side. He stared at her expectantly and she sighed. “The way I see it, there are only two possible explanations. One, I'm dead and this is my spirit haunting you. Or two, you're crazy,” she jumped to her toes so their faces were only inches apart, “and I'm just a figment of your imagination trying to keep you alive. Because I'm the only thing that can, right?” Finn stopped walking, trying to understand her words, but he lurched forward as the horse continued to move, and the girl dissolved into the air, leaving only her laughter to echo through his head.

_ “Heda!” A young boy ran up to her, his hair and face readied for battle and an empty sheath slung carelessly on his hip. He gave her a clumsy bow that she waved off with a smile. “My name is Artigas. I will do all I can to protect you, Heda.”  _

_ She bit her lip to hide her laughter at the nervous stutter of Trigedasleng paired with the boy’s puffed chest before slipping into his language. “I'm sure you will. Thank you.” He beamed and ran over to a group of boys roughly his age, gesturing wildly back to her. A chuckle escaped her throat and Orion waved to him before wandering aimlessly in her hunt for the blonde. _

She’d been at his side for at least an hour, her normally soft voice now harsh and bitter as she constantly reminded him that he’d lost her. Occasionally she broke away to sprint into the trees, her laughter bubbling back to him, and he found himself smiling at the expression of freedom and joy so rare for the blue-eyed girl. Then he remembered she wasn’t real and returned his thoughts to focusing on keeping his feet steady and breathing even. She bounded over to him, leaves tangled in her dark locks and eyes alight from whatever discovery was on her tongue. Finn tore his gaze away and tuned the girl out with the rhythmic sway of the tail in front of him. 

A shout tore through the air and he shook his head, afraid to face another demon from the depths of his mind. Suddenly, the horse increased its speed and Finn’s feet flew out from under him as he soared face first into the ground, He buried his head in his arms to shield himself from flying rocks and loose clumps of dirt as the sound of hooves thundered next to his head and his body skated across the earth. 

He groaned as the horse came to an abrupt halt and he slammed into the animal’s legs. He shook his head groggily and raised himself up on his forearms just enough to see the grounder jump from his mount and pick up a boy by the back of the neck. The man turned and marched toward Finn with his new hostage in tow, allowing the sky boy to get a good look at the newcomer’s face.

“Of course it's him.” The blonde-streaked girl sighed and leaned her elbow against Finn. “Leave it to Bell to get captured on a rescue mission. The boy can't go a day without fucking something up.”

Finn ignored her and scrambled to get to his feet before he could be punished, but the grounder paid him no mind as he focused on securing the binds around Bellamy’s wrist.

The raven-haired man spat towards the direction of his captor, resulting in a smack to the head that nearly made him fall. Finn quickly moved to support his friend with his shoulder and mumbled beneath his breath to avoid attention. “Keep moving. He’ll kill you if you stop.”

“Took you long enough.” The girl formed from the air and slouched against Bellamy, who seemed to be oblivious to her presence.

Bellamy nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but something in the trees had caught his attention. Finn followed his gaze and turned to see Monroe and Sterling charging towards them, screaming at the top of their lungs and weapons flying. 

A shot rang through the air and the teenagers threw themselves to the ground. A thump sounded nearby and Finn looked to see the grounder with his face in the dirt, his skull destroyed with a gaping hole. His eyes searched wildly; none of the delinquents had weapons powerful enough for that kind of damage.

“Don't worry. We're here now.” The kids on the ground whipped their heads around to see Marcus Kane emerge from the shrubbery with a gun smoking in his hands.

_ A group of young boys caught her eye, and she chuckled at the sloppy bands of dirt smeared over their eyes and the flimsy sticks slicing through the air in an attempted style of swords. Her grin fell as she noticed a small girl in the middle of the group curled in a ball to protect herself from the sting of the lash. Her nails bit into her palms as she stomped over to the group and barked reproaches at the boys in their native language. As they scampered away, she knelt next to the girl, who mumbled apologies and wiped at her eyes. _

_ Orion smiled, helping her into a sitting position and brushing her hair behind her ear. “You are more of a warrior than those boys could wish to be.” The teen noticed the girl reach for something lying beside her and the grounder proudly held out a stick of her own as if offering it to her Heda. Ry shook her head with a growing smile. “That’s ok, sweetheart, you’re going to need that. Besides, I have my own.” She motioned to her hilt and watched as the girl’s eyes widened and her small hand reached out to touch it. It was then the glint of an arrow stole her attention and she diverted to handle the bow instead. Orion’s eyes shined at the little girl’s curiosity and unraveled the weapon from her shoulder. “Do you know how to shoot a bow?” _

The sight of the dropship pressed a weight against his chest. The singed metal was surrounded by burnt and broken corpses, and he was unable to distinguish between grounder and delinquent. He remembered running from the flames, hearing the screams of those that weren't fast enough. He couldn’t help but glance among the bodies for a small scrap of metal or blue stone. A hand landed on his shoulder, making him jump and whirl around.

“She’s not here, or shouldn’t be. The bastards took her before lift off.” Bellamy removed his hand to drag it through his matted hair. “They saved her.”

“Only to kill her themselves. And I wouldn’t put torture past them.” Finn turned away from his friend and continued his search, this time for anything he could recognize - a tooth, a clump of hair, a hand - anything that could remind him he was standing on human remains. His friends, his enemies, all burnt to unrecognizable mounds of ash. All over some stupid conflict that could have been solved weeks ago.

Finn kicked a pile of dirt and trudged over to the dropship. Murphy stumbled out, aided by a guard. Bellamy rushed forward, pushing Finn aside, and tackled the injured boy. His fists flew as Murphy covered his face with his hands, too weak to fight back. The guard drew his weapon and Finn quickly moved to pull Bellamy off.

He tossed the older boy to the side just as the rod smacked into the ground, electricity sizzling along the metal platform.

“Hey, watch it.” Murphy growled and glared up at the guard, shuffling away from the point of impact. Finn held his hand out to help the boy up but froze when their hands made contact.

“You were with the grounders.” He mumbled, gawking down at the delinquent.

“Yeah, what's it to you? Gonna beat me up like our precious leader?”

Finn’s face hardened and he snatched the boy’s collar, hauling him to his feet.

“Hey! It wasn’t a suggestion, smartass!”

“Where did they take her?”

“Who? The pronoun game hardly ever works.”

“Orion. Weird hair, blue eyes. The girl who saved your ass more than you deserved.”

“How the fuck would I know?” 

“You were with them when they took her.” Finn raised his fist and was vaguely aware of electricity crackling behind him. 

John’s face darkened into a glare. “Where’s Lu? You were with her when she disappeared. Or he was.” He nodded his head towards Bellamy.

The raven-haired man shook his head. “I just know she wasn't in the dropship when it launched.”

John turned his attention back to the furious boy mere inches from him, the life suddenly drained from his light eyes. “I don't know where she is. I never saw her. But you aren't the only one looking for someone, Spacewalker.”

Finn let go of Murphy’s collar with a sigh, tugged at his hair in frustration, and looked up to see a stretcher being carried from the dropship. Hope rose in his chest at the sight of long, dark hair lazily draped off the edge, but his heart dropped to his stomach upon recognizing the body as Raven.

He shook his head, hoping to rid his expression of disappointment, as he stalked towards the guards carrying her. Her eyes fluttered open as he neared and she shook her head slightly.

“She’s not here, Finn.”

_ The pebble bit into the tips of her fingers as she drew the string back. She released the breath she’d been holding as the string snapped back to it’s natural position and the stone cracked against the bark of a distant tree. The young girl next to her applauded excitedly, and Orion handed the bow to her before moving to aid the child in aim. As she readied to release the string, a firm hand landed on her shoulder. Nyko smiled down at the two and offered a small wave to the younger girl before gesturing towards a group of older grounders circled around the fire. With a sigh, Orion stood to her feet and ruffled the girl’s hair as she followed Nyko towards the warm light. _

He’d held her hand through the surgery, and now he sat by her bedside and watched her face contort in discomfort, even hours after she’d lost consciousness. With a sigh, he brushed some dark strands from her sweat-drenched forehead. The surgery had been painful for both of them, stretching long past the night and into the morning. Her screams of pain only mingled with the ones from his nightmares, matching the strangled cries of a blue-eyed girl. Guilt settled in his gut and he moved to exit the tent.

At the door, he cast a glance over his shoulder, only to see her wide brown eyes watching him. “You’ve been here the whole time?” He nodded and traced the line of light coming from the entryway with his foot. She sighed and winced as she rolled over. “Go find her, Finn.”

“But, Raven, you-”

“You said her name in your sleep.” Raven gave a small smile as the boy paled. “Just go, Finn. She needs you more than I do. And you need her more than that.”

Finn nodded and rushed out of the tent. He didn’t need to be told again.

_ Orion smiled politely and sat down next to the village elders, Nyko sticking close to her side. They introduced themselves with slight bows, which were immediately dismissed. They dissolved into separate conversations, except one, the oldest of them all, who stared intently at the blonde-streaked girl. She instinctively backed into Nyko, who only chuckled and nudged her towards the elder. The man explained how he knew the first Heda and launched into a tale from his youth that gradually captured the attention of those around him.  _

Bellamy had given him a wary look when he’d asked to join, but he’d still nodded and handed him a gun, a strange glint in the man’s eye Finn could have sworn was sympathy. Or maybe empathy or understanding was a better word. Finn shook the thoughts from his head and looked around him at their ragtag search party. It hadn’t surprised him when Sterling and Monroe volunteered to join; they had Bellamy’s capture to make up for. But Murphy was a different story. 

He hadn't expected the boy to leave his girlfriend so quickly, not after the way he'd looked when he thought he'd lost her. But her temper was as fiery as her hair and she’d demanded he go look for her friend and then proceeded to make a show of going herself, dragging her limp leg behind her. Finn had hugged her for that and she’d beamed with pride at successfully making the somber brunette laugh. Until Murphy stalked over and she’d stuck her tongue out in defiance as he threw her over his shoulder and carried her back into the Ark.

Now, he tramped through the grass, making sure to keep his distance from the group. Finn dropped back and walked alongside Murphy, his eyes occasionally darting to the other delinquent.

John chuckled and pushed a hand through his hair. “If you don't stop staring I might have to tell your girlfriend to cut her hair and take the ‘O’ back off her name.”

Finn scowled and balled his fists. “What made you come anyway? Luci’s got some power over you but I didn't think anything could talk you into quality time with Bellamy.”

Murphy sent a glare to the man in question and shook his head. “Your girl’s important to mine, for whatever reason. And you're right. She saved my life more than it's worth.”

Finn nodded and the two continued to walk in a companionable silence.

_ Orion absentmindedly twirled her hair around her finger as she stared at her feet. The stories had fascinated her, but she only knew so much of their language. She lazily drug her toe across the earth, trailing designs in the dirt as the foreign words blended with the music. She stared into the flames before her and let her mind wander when a beaming face obstructed her view. She blinked and focused on the boy in front of her. He was roughly her age, dark hair and eyes brightened by the light of the fire and his wide grin.  _

_ He held his hand out to her. “You look bored over here, Heda. Would you like to dance with me?” _

_ The sound of English made her grin, but she bit her lip. “I can’t dance.” _

_ He snorted and grabbed her hands, pulling her to feet. “Then I’ll teach you.” With a wicked grin, he twirled her around in a circle, receiving applause from those around them and laughter from the blue-eyed girl. _

Bellamy screamed as his fist landed with a thud on the grounder’s jaw. The others had backed away and Finn couldn't help but recognize a few similarities between Bellamy and the grounder that had tied him to a horse only a few days ago. 

Bellamy launched another blow and Finn turned his attention to the bunker around him. He could hear echoes of her laughter and the soft whisper of a bedtime story about Little Lotte. The last time he'd been there, the last time either of them had. He knew it’d only been a few months but it felt like eons to the young boy. Too many things had changed, too many things lost.

“Where did you get this?” Bellamy’s shout tore Finn from his thoughts and his head whipped around to see the sky boy clutching a watch with one hand and gripping the grounder’s collar in the other. The captive offered no answer, but only spat in the raven-haired boy’s face. Bellamy snarled and reared his fist back, but Finn gripped the older boy’s forearm, halting its movement. 

Bellamy turned towards his friend, a reproach on his twisted lips, but the words left him upon seeing Finn’s dazed expression, his eyes trained on the prisoner’s neck. The younger boy released his hold and took a shaky step towards the grounder. He carefully picked up a small scrap of metal and turned it over in his hands. A bracelet, one they’d all been given before being taken from their cells and forced on a dropship destined for Earth. The light caught on small indentations and he brought it closer to his face until he could make out the small letters carved into the once smooth surface.  _ Bellamy. Octavia. Lucifer. Jasper. Monty. Clarke. Raven. Lincoln. Miller. Murphy.  _ He recognized the handwriting but his thoughts whirled around his brain so fast he couldn't focus on one. He lightly ran his hand along the cut surface. There were other names, either crammed into the limited space or overlapping so only a few letters could be seen. He couldn't make them all out but something in his gut told him the names of all the living delinquents could be found in the metal. Cautiously, he turned the band to where he knew he would find  _ Wick  _ and  _ Graco _ .

His breath caught in his throat. Between the two familiar names, the light shone on four rough letters, slightly larger than any of the other carvings and smattered with a dark substance that could only be blood.  _ Finn _ .

“It's nothing. Just something stupid I would do up in lockup. A list to remind myself why I don't give up.” He turned to see her smiling brightly at him, looking nearly identical to the day she'd told him that, the day Raven crashed to Earth and he'd lost her the first time. But now there was something different. Her hair was still wild but not yet unclean. Her clothes had only a few tears from getting herself into too much trouble. She still wore that strange smile that told him she'd always remain a mystery girl. But her wrist was bare and her eyes were lifeless and cold.

“She'd never take this off. Not unless…” Finn mumbled as she came closer.

She idly traced the carving of his name, a small smile playing across her lips. Her head jerked up, the full intensity of those blue eyes resting on him, and the grin broke across her face. “I told you you would find me.” He chanced a glance up at her and immediately regretted it. Red bloomed across her chest and dripped down to the floor to form a puddle. A leg was bent the wrong way and she was missing half an arm, the remaining flesh twisted and mangled. 

Suddenly she staggered back, her face pale and horror-stricken. She looked down towards her stomach and clutched at empty air. Whisps of her began to fade away and she looked up to Finn with a panicked expression and reached out towards him. He stepped back and as the last of her vanished the crack of a gunshot reverberated back to him, mingling with a cry of agony. Finn blinked and shook his head to regain his focus. The grounder was slumped back, his form lifeless, a dark red hole torn through his chest, and a small pool growing around him. Finn’s chest rose and fell rapidly and he felt his finger coiled around cool metal. He looked down to see his gun, a bullet casing spun along the ground by his feet and the barrel pointed in front of him, toward the now dead captive. 

He turned around slowly, hesitantly, and saw the others staring at him in unequal mixtures of shock and horror. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and repositioned the rifle on his back.

“What the hell, Collins? He told us what we needed!” Bellamy shouted from his protective stance in front of the others. 

“Come on. We have a mission to finish.” Without waiting for their assent, Finn shoved the piece of metal into his pocket and climbed up the ladder into the open air.

_ Orion broke free from the crowd, the music and chatter echoing behind her, when the light fell upon a grinning blonde leaning against a tree. The brunette beamed and walked over to her friend. _

_ “Are you having fun, Star?” Kylo’s eyes darted between the girl’s flushed face and the rowdy group around the fire. _

_ Ry’s eyes and smile widened overdramatically and she shook her head ever so slightly. “Save me, Wars.” _

_ “From their undying adoration?” _

_ “Exactly.” She took up the spot next to the blonde and stared blankly at the celebration. “I can only handle so much praise and affection.” She grinned wryly and turned toward the blonde. “That’s why I came to talk to you.” _

_ Kylo rolled her eyes. “Good choice. Would you like an insult to balance their excessive love?” _

_ “Shoot.” _

_ “Your hair is weird.” _

_ “Noted. Now I’m humbled.” _

_ “Glad to be of service, Heda.”  _

_ Kylo’s previous calm dissolved as the two burst into laughter. _

Sterling’s cry echoed through the crater as his body plummeted to the jagged rocks below. The group stared over the edge, hands outstretched and frozen from their failed attempt to grab the rope. The girl, Mel, clinging desperately to the branch below let out a shrill scream that seemed to snap Bellamy out of his daze.

He shook his head and staggered away from the lip. “We need to get her up.”

“Sterling was her friend.” Monroe nodded. “But that was our only rope.”

“Then we make more. Look around the crash site. There has to be something.”

Monroe nodded and Murphy shrugged before the two took off in different directions. With a sigh Bellamy looked over the edge at the girl and trudged towards a clump of wreckage. Finn growled and stalked after the black-haired man, his pulse pounding in his ears reminding him his friend’s heartbeats- _ her  _ heartbeats-were numbered. He roughly shoved Bellamy and blocked his path.

“Finn-”

“We don’t have the time.” Finn barked through clenched teeth.

“For all we know they’re already dead.”

“Well they sure as hell will be if we keep wasting time.” He pushed his hands through his hair in frustration. “We don’t even know her. Is she really worth letting our friends die?” Bellamy’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to answer but thought better of it and brushed past the boy with a bewildered shake of the head. Finn grabbed the man’s arm, halting his advancement. “What the hell are you doing? We need to leave. Now.”

Bellamy yanked his arm back and narrowed his eyes. “You’re not in charge, Collins. You’re not even in control of yourself!”

“I’m fine.”

“Is that what you call killing a grounder after he told us everything? Or is that leaving a girl to hang from a cliff until she’s too tired to hold on and falls to her death? Because that's not fine. That's not even Finn. Do you think Princess Peace would be okay with all this?” Bell sighed as Finn averted his eyes. “Look, I know you want to find her, but I'm doing what Ry would want me to do.”

Finn shook his head dazedly, seeming to ignore the boy’s words. “I'll do whatever it takes to find them. I can't give up on them. On her. Not after...everything.”

“You think I don’t want to find her, too? She's my best friend, practically my second sister, and  _ I’m _ the one that let her go out there when I  _ knew  _ she wasn’t fit to fight and that she’d do something stupid.” He rubbed his temples as his voice lost its former bite. “You aren’t the only one who lost someone. I have Octavia. Clarke.  _ All of our people _ .  _ I'm _ not killing random grounders, but you go ahead and lose your shit over one girl.” 

“But she’s _ all _ I have. You’ve got Octavia and Clarke and everyone, but she’s it for me.” Finn’s voice broke and he clutched the piece of metal in his pocket, the edges biting into his palm. “That's why I need to find her. Even if she's dead, I just need to know because not knowing is driving me crazy.”

Bellamy nodded and chewed his lip in thought. “You'll find her. I'll make sure of it. After this, no matter what happens, you go off and look for that village and bring our girl home. Dead or alive, make sure she comes back.” Finn nodded, his eyes hopeful despite his grim expression. “But first, you find something to make rope and help the girl up. Stubbornness can only last for so long.”

The two shared a small laugh before splitting off into the wreckage in search of rope, the girl’s soft grunts of exertion magnified by the ricochet of the crater.

_ The two girls wandered aimlessly throughout the village, stepping in and out of the shadows as they danced away from the flames. The celebrating grounders paid them no mind as they pulled their hoods further over their faces. As they observed, they spoke softly amongst each other, only interrupted by sharp bursts of laughter. _

_ “So you thought a mouse was small?” Kylo’s pitch shifted as giggles bubbled through the sentence.   _

_ Orion rolled her eyes despite her grin and lightly shoved the blonde. “Shut up. At least I didn’t think a piano was a-” She froze, her feet fixed in the earth and eyes trained straight ahead. _

_ “Star, what…” _

_ The brunette ignored her friend as her attention focused on the moving flame in the trees. She locked eyes with a pair of blue ones just as the small spark of light consumed a wooden shack.   _

Finn and Murphy crouched among the bushes, eyes scanning the small camp. They seemed to be celebrating: different food smells wafted through the air, some people danced around the fire while others gathered in small clumps and talked animatedly. In the dim firelight, the grounders could hardly be distinguished from what the delinquent camp had been a month ago. 

Finn’s eyes landed on a small shack and he slunk forward, motioning for the other boy to follow and keep the torch hidden. He peered inside and held his hand out for the burning stick. Murphy handed it over and tilted his head as he tried to see inside.

“What's so special about this? Do you think they keep their space kids here?”

“Nope. Their food.” Finn mumbled as he threw the torch into the window and pulled his gun to the front. 

The two stepped back into the tree line as the growing flames drew the attention of the grounders. Screams rang through the village as they rushed around in search of water. Though the commotion, Murphy caught sight of a girl with long, inky hair. She was dressed like a grounder, the animal skins of a better quality than the others, but what caught his attention was the one braid towards the front of her face where blonde strands mixed with the darker ones.

“Hey, Trigger…” Murphy turned towards where Finn had been, but the boy had already charged into the middle of the camp, waving his gun around and shooting into the sky. And when Murphy looked back to where he’d seen the girl, there was nothing but empty space. He shook his head and jogged after the long-haired boy. 

_ There was something familiar about the eyes staring intensely back at her beneath the long, messy hair pushed back to reveal a high forehead, something she recognized in the steep nose and high cheekbones. The memory danced just out of her grasp, outside the small bright circle of safe numbness she’d created for herself and into the darkness she dared not search. And then the face was consumed by flame and the thought was ripped from her fingertips.  _

_ She blinked the daze away to be replaced by the piercing sound of screams. She tore her gaze from the flames and turned toward the once peaceful village. The grounders stood rooted to the spot, their jaws slack at the destruction in front of them.  _

_ She felt a hand wrap around her elbow. “Be ready.” Kylo’s voice hissed in her ear. _

_ As if on cue, the young boys reached at their sides for weapons they’d left behind for the night of celebration. They all shared a strained look, each silently acknowledging the position of the fire between them and the weapons. A battle cry broke out from Artigas and rippled down the line to Nyko, and the warriors surged forward as one body towards the flaming huts. The women shrieked in terror and scrambled to get the children to safety. _

_ Orion watched it all, the scene seemed to slow until she found herself in the midst of the panicked mass, their blurred forms rushing past the girl who simply stared, wide-eyed and frozen as a statue.   _

_ “Now!” The shout of Kylo’s voice in her ear snapped her back to reality as her arm was yanked forward. Ry stumbled a step before regaining her balance with the aid of a passing shoulder.   _

_ She glanced around the chaos, her feet stuck and her mind going wild. It wasn’t until the blonde shook her shoulders lightly did she know she had been pulled away from the crowd. Though Kylo’s sentences seemed foreign and the atmosphere unreal, the gravity of the situation soon hit the girl and her friend’s words took shape into a nightmare. They were being attacked.  _

_ Gunshots split the air and the two threw themselves to the ground as the cries grew louder. The brunette rolled to her feet and took a step towards the destruction.  _

_ The blonde tried to pry Ry from the scene unfolding, but her piercing blue eyes were locked. “We have to help them. They could get hurt. They’re unarmed against guns. It could be the Mountain Men or...” She fought to ignore the small spark of hope glowing along the edge of her circle.  _

_ Kylo quickly shook her head, her gaze sweeping over the mass of fighters. “They are dead, Orion. Skaikru are no more. Mountain Men will not-cannot be reasoned with and you can do nothing to help. You need to leave. Now.” _

_ Ry said nothing, her attention caught by the hysteria, but allowed herself to be led into the dark of the trees. She cast one glance over her shoulder as more thunderous cracks of gunfire rang through the night to see two dark silhouettes outlined against the orange tongues of light.  _

_ She shook her head and focused her energy on keeping up with the swift pace of the blonde. The forest seemed to close in on them, the dense trunks drawing nearer as if to suffocate them. She chanced a glance up to the sky and the sight of the leaf canopy blocking out the moon and stars caused her chest to tighten. A low growl escaped her throat and she forced her legs to move faster for fear of losing sight of the eerily silent light-haired girl in the black void. _

_ They wove through the trees and the noise of the chaos behind them became a mere memory haunting the blonde-streaked girl who struggled against the weight of the silence.  _

_ “Kylo.” Orion gasped out and the blonde slowed to a halt, her own breathing heavy.  _

_ “Rest. Breathe. We are safe for the moment.” _

_ “They aren't.” Her voice dripped with venom as she reluctantly sagged against a nearby trunk.“We need to go back, to help.” Kylo rolled her eyes and wandered into the shadows. “Ky-” _

_ “Relax. I need an herb.” _

_ “You think now is the best time?” _

_ “You said you wanted me to help them.” _

_ Ry furrowed her brows in confusion, but brushed it off, focusing instead on calming her breathing. A twig snapped and her head darted in the direction of the returning grounder. She felt her skin bristle at the sight of the girl’s hands behind her back. “What are you doing?” _

_ The blonde’s face fell, masked by the dark. “I am sorry but this is something I must do.” She pulled a coiled vine from behind her.  _

_ Before the sky girl could react, Kylo jammed her thumb into the brunette’s side where she knew the fresh wound to be and twisted. Ry fell to the earth with a small cry, her eyes blurring from the pain. The blonde knelt beside her fallen friend and quickly knotted the plant around the girl’s wrists before scaling the tree and repeating the action around a high branch.   _

_ She jumped back to the ground silently and stood over the curled form.  _

_ “Why-”  _

_ Kylo stuck another vine in the brunette’s mouth and tied it behind her head. Blue eyes flashed furiously as Orion tried to shake off the gag and grunted unintelligibly.  _

_ “Your life is worth more than all of theirs. You must be protected above all others.” The brunette seethed. “But they have been kind to me. I will not abandon them.” _

_ Kylo repositioned her hood over her eyes and straightened up before running back towards the village, leaving the brunette curled in a ball at the base of the tree.  _

A crack of sharp sound split the air and the world was reduced to a gentle hush save for the pound of his pulse against his ears and the ragged breaths bursting past his lips. A second later screams erupted all around him and dark forms rushed past in the dim light. He tried to fire once again into the sky but his hand shook too much to hold the gun steady. He turned the weapon towards the ground and unloaded lead into the earth. The figures halted and countless pairs of wide eyes turned to stare at him. 

“Where are they?” His voice barely above a whisper, Finn cleared his throat and set his teeth as the grounders furrowed their brows in confusion. “ _ Where are they? _ ” Despite the desperate scream, he was still met with blank expressions. “Who can speak English?!” A man with long brown hair and a matching beard stepped into the circle of light cast by the burning shed. Finn felt his anger falter at the sight of the man’s bulky stature and intimidating facial tattoos. He shook the fear from his mind and pressed the barrel into the man’s chest. “Tell me where they are. Where are you hiding my friends?”

The man raised his hands by his head. “We have hidden no one. And there is no one here that would call you friend.” 

“Liar!” He dug the metal end further into the grounder. “If they aren’t here then you’ve killed them. You attacked our camp, kidnapped our people-”

“ _ You _ are the only attacker here. None of us were present at that battle. This camp holds no warrior.” He straightened and shoved the weapon away from him. “Now leave peacefully and you will not face the wrath of our heda.”

Finn held the man’s stare for awhile, contemplating his words, before dropping his voice to a gravelly whisper. “I want to believe you. And I want to let you go.” The man’s shoulders loosened in relief. “But I know she’s here. She has to be. And I’m going to find her.” Finn quickly swung his weapon, slamming the butt of the gun into the side of the grounder’s head.

The man fell to the ground with a thud and Finn spun around to point his rifle at a group of boys maybe a few years younger than him. “Take him over there.” He motioned towards the open area they had been dancing in a few minutes ago. One of the boys spoke softly to the others before they moved forward as a group, keeping a wary distance from the foreign weapon, and picked up the unconscious form from the dirt. Finn followed them with the barrel and let his voice ring out for the others to hear. “The rest of you, find what you can and make a fence around him, big enough for all of you.” The people surrounding him mumbled amongst themselves, the strange words tinged with outrage. “I don't want to kill you, but any wrong moves and you'll be forcing my hand.”

Those that could understand relayed it back to their friends and the village soon moved as one towards any spare part they could find. Finn watched them with his jaw clenched and finger poised over the trigger. He felt a presence at his side and turned to see Murphy.

“What the hell are you doing, Trigger?” Murphy asked with a mix of awe and reproach.

“Making them cooperate.”

“I mean it's working but I think our pals back home are gonna have a hard time believing this was your idea and not mine.” 

“Are you looking for the credit?” Finn spat the words out and turned his glare on Murphy.

“Nah, this doesn't top stringing up the King.” The delinquent rolled his eyes and turned towards the grounders, idly looking for the face he’d spotted across the fire. He sighed-the dancing light made it hard to see much of anything and the girl from before was nowhere to be seen-and decided Finn’s craziness was wearing off on him before turning back to the boy. “Look, Trigger, I'm not sure what’s going on but-”

“Save it.” Finn growled and moved towards the grounders.

Murphy laughed. “I think you might actually wanna hear this.” Finn paid him no mind, not even bothering to glance back at his fellow delinquent, who scoffed. “If you say so.”

Finn yelled at a group of grounders to keep working before finally turning to Murphy. “Watch them. Make sure they build the damn thing right and then pile them in there. I'm going to look for our friends-”

“You mean your girlfriend.”

“-or any sign of them.” Murphy met Finn’s scowl and began to chuckle, causing the long-haired boy’s brow to furrow. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Murphy.”

“I'm saving it.” Murphy donned a smug grin as Finn rolled his eyes and pushed him toward the fence.

Finn stomped towards the trees, glancing around at the shuffling grounders, hoping to see a shock of blonde or a flash of blue. He made it to the edge and began to turn back when a flash of yellow caught his eye and he froze.

_ Kylo sprang through the forest, away from the eyes full of betrayal that stared back at her whenever she blinked. As she neared the village she slowed, listening for the echo of gunfire or cries of anguish. The silence of the forest caused the pit in her stomach to fill with dread. She slunk through the remaining foliage and squatted down at the edge of the treeline, her small form partially hidden by the brush. _

_Peering through the green, she watched the seemingly monotonous movements of the villagers all milling about to_ _create a structure in the middle of the town. They seemed to be completing chores until she noticed a tenseness about their shoulders and an eerie silence instead of idle chatter. She furrowed her brow and brushed aside the plant, meaning to step out and question one of them, when two figures caught her attention and forced her back into the safety of the night._

_ Her eyes landed on the guns in their hands before drifting over to their clothes. No white suits. Skaikru. Her mind’s eye flashed to the sky girl she’d left alone in the forest and she swore under her breath. One of them started her way and she quickly turned back toward the way she’d come, toward her best hope of greeting dawn without bloodshed. _

_ “Stop!” Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of the deep voice. “Into the light.” She slowly turned towards the voice and stepped over the line marking wilderness from civilization. She watched the boy’s hopeful face fall and he gritted his teeth. “What were you doing out there?” _

_ The blonde opened her mouth to speak and found herself staring down the barrel of his gun, the words immediately dying in her throat. He growled and motioned towards the rest of the villagers. _

_ “Just get to work.”  _

_ She lowered her face to the ground and picked up a random piece of wood before falling in step with the others. _

_ “Yo, Finn. Don’t you think this is a bit excessive?” _

_ Kylo raised her eyes to find the boy from before was accompanied by a friend. She racked her brain for why the name had been so familiar to her until her eyes widened and she glanced over her shoulder. Finn. Orion’s Finn. The grounder shook her head slightly, her feet stopping simultaneously as she sought for a connection between the boy the kind blonde-streaked girl mourned over and the aggressor who’d threatened her without hesitation. He had pulled something from his pocket. The glint from a metallic cylinder caught her eye and she watched as he thumbed over what she inferred to be engravings. The long-haired boy’s head suddenly shot up and their eyes met. The raising of his gun brought the girl back into action as she continued her trek to the center of the village.  _

_ She set down her plank and turned back for another when a dark form caught her eye. She glanced back to the sky boys to make sure she wasn’t being watched before ducking behind the makeshift wall and crawling over to the crumpled figure. In the glow of the fire, she could just make out the tattoos and beard she’d grown familiar with. _

_ “Nyko?” She whispered and lightly shook his shoulders. The man groaned and turned away from the light. At the repeated hiss of his name, his eyes blinked open and he struggled to focus on the blonde next to him. _

_ “Kylo?” _

_ “What happened to you?” _

_ Nyko blinked and glanced in the direction of the hushed voices of the sky boys. He shook his head and turned back to the blonde. “It's of little import. I have survived worse. Where is Heda?” _

_ “Safe.” Kylo looked back over to their attackers. “What do we do about them? I can find a blade and Artigas is just a boy but he is skilled-” _

_ “No, Kylo.” _

_ “But they-” _

_ “They have the upper hand. All we can do is follow their orders.” A groan escaped his throat as he struggled to sit up despite the pounding in his skull. He gave the defiant girl a light nudge towards the huts. “Now, be a good hostage and try not to get yourself and all of us killed.” _

_ Kylo rolled her eyes but granted him a soft smile before joining the group of villagers. _

Finn stared down at the metal in his hands, his thumb lightly brushing over the hurried scratch of his name. He could imagine her: scrounging for something sharp in whatever dark hole they were hiding her in, trying to keep her identity and memories of the stars amongst torture and starvation, only to have her only reminder stolen from her. He gripped the metal tightly and shoved it back in his pocket as he heard footsteps approaching. 

“So.” Murphy swung his hands into a clap, his gun hanging loosely off his shoulder. “Was killing one grounder not enough?” Finn rolled his eyes and stared straight ahead at the procession of grounders. “Did you enjoy it? Watching his blood spill? Having complete control over someone else’s life before you ripped it from them?” Murphy laughed at the other boy’s clenched jaw. “I’ve been mad before, Trigger, but never _ that _ mad.” 

“Really? Because I remember the last time you threw a fit you killed Myles and Connor and tried to hang Bellamy.” Finn growled as he tightened his grip around his weapon.

“Oh yeah. Well, they had it coming. This… well let’s just say even I wouldn’t stoop this low.”

“So, what, now you’re better than me?”

“No, I’m just not an idiot.”

“What if it was Lu out here?”

The lighter-haired boy shrugged. “I’d  _ want _ to kill them until I found her.” 

“See-”

“But she wouldn’t want me to. And she’s not my girlfriend but I’m pretty sure O’ _ Ryan _ wouldn’t be too thrilled about this whole she **bang** you’ve got here.”

“You don’t know her.”

Murphy scoffed. “You don’t have to fuck her to know that. She wouldn’t shut up about how life’s important and yada yada. I mean it’s kinda hypocritical coming from that prissy wannabe guard-”

A snarl rumbled through Finn’s throat and he grabbed Murphy’s collar, slightly lifting him from the ground. “Don’t talk about her like that!” 

The suspended delinquent remained stoic. “You know she’s dead, right? And that all this is pointless?”

Finn dropped him and shook his head. “No. She’s not. I know she’s here. I can feel it.”

“That’s just creepy.” 

“Fuck off, John.” The long-haired boy stalked away from his companion and continued to watch the grounders, occasionally shouting orders for the hell of it.

_ Orion’s vision blurred from the pain but she bit down on the vine and stumbled to her feet despite it. She backed away from the tree until the trailer was a taut line connecting her wrists to the branch at least twice her height above the earth. She dug her heels into the dirt and threw herself back.  _

_ The wind was pushed from her lungs as she smacked into the ground. The vine around her mouth muffled a low growl and she pushed herself back to her feet. She edged back a few more steps, the plant straining around her wrist, and gave a sharp tug. She groaned when the slack feeling she’d been hoping for was replaced with the light bounce of the tree branch vibrating back to her along the line. She set her jaw, wincing at the taste of the plant, and readied herself for another attempt. _

_ By dawn, her arms and legs were aching with the strain, but the memory of the explosive gunshots and the panicked screams continued to fuel her weary body. A small trail could be seen in the dirt, marking the distance her heels had stretched the vine that had yet to snap. Ry analyzed the binding in the brightening light. Her eyes glinted with a sense of predetermined victory and she flung herself backwards with a grunt.  _

_ The feeling of rocks sliding against her back as she was pulled closer to the tree caused her to scream curses into the gag. She sat up and slammed her bound fists against whatever she could reach. Her hand landed against her foot and she furrowed her brow at the unexpected resistance.  _

_ She hurriedly tugged her boot off and flipped it upside down. Amongst several loose stones, a knife clattered to the ground. Orion beamed and stuck the point into the soil at her feet before using the sharp edge to saw at the binding around her wrists. The vine snapped with a satisfying twang, and she reached behind her head to untie the knot against her skull. She spit the taste from her mouth and rolled her sore wrists, allowing herself the second to revive before the urgency settled back in.  _

_ Pulling her boot back on, she shook the green from her and smiled to herself. “Kylo, you sneaky shit. You're lucky I don't have you sentenced.” She pulled the blade from the dirt and forced herself back to her feet. “And I'm having that damn tree burnt to the ground.” _

_ She gave one final huff before sprinting in the direction Kylo had gone in the dark hours of the night.  _

Finn blinked away the light from his eyes and kicked the ground in frustration. A few jackets, a couple of mismatched boots, and a pair of pants. That’s all he could find: the only trace of sky people ever setting foot in this camp. Not a scrap leading to her. Nothing even half as telling as the bracelet in his pocket.

He trudged over to Murphy, who was currently standing guard over the grounders. On their knees and hands above their heads, they were crammed nearly on top of each other in the small pen they’d built throughout the night. 

“Have you figured out that these guys aren't hiding any aliens? Or does the hair block out common sense as well as your eyes?”

Finn ignored the jeer and sighed. “I can't find anything.”

“Probably because there were never any sky kids here. We did leave a lot of shit back at that ‘camp’ and it's not like there was anyone there to use it, let alone protect it.” Murphy looked to the other teen with disdain and lightly tapped his gun so it swung on his shoulder. 

“So let them out.” 

“What? After all this you're not even going to kill them? What was the fucking point?”

“They don't have what we’re looking for. They’d probably never even seen someone from the sky until we came along.”

“Coulda told you that hours ago, Hitler, but your ego killed your brain cells for more space.”

“Just let them go.” Defeat tinged his voice as Finn let out a sigh. 

“Oh yeah ‘cause they’re gonna be so happy you're letting them go that they’ll forget this bullshit attack and won't think to kill you. No thanks, I'm leaving before this whole thing goes south...er.”

Finn rolled his eyes and turned to get the job done himself when he saw a younger boy standing on the outside of the fence, a blade a few feet from his grasp. 

“Don't move!” 

He readied his gun, aiming the barrel at the young boy’s chest. He could vaguely hear Murphy shouting at him through the haze in his head. He took a deep breath and moved his finger to rest against the trigger, but before he could apply any pressure, he felt the cool edge of a knife press against his heated skin.

“Shoot him and I kill you.” A female voice growled behind him. He swallowed and took his hands from the weapon, letting it hang from the strap off his shoulders. “Put the gun on the ground.” When he didn’t immediately comply, he felt the blade cut into his skin. “Now.”

He glanced at the grounders in the pen warily, noticing the mixture of smug and awestruck faces. His eyes flitted over to Murphy standing next to the small fence, his jaw slack and hands hanging at his sides, the gun resting harmlessly on his hip. He sighed and reached to lift the strap over his head. The pressure of the knife eased, and he took the opportunity to fling his arm around in an attempt to disarm his enemy and aim the gun at her chest. The gun was knocked from his grip and a small hand fisted his collar before he felt the point of the blade press underneath his chin. He looked down at his opponent and froze.

His eyes darted around, desperate to take in the girl at the other end of the blade. Animal skins hugged her body. A fur cloak fell from her shoulders and pooled around her feet. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face, the thick tresses littered with braids. Hard, lifeless blue eyes stared back at him from a thick black band stretching across her cheekbones. “Ry?” He choked out and watched the foreign icy glare melt away as her lips parted slightly and the presence of the knife disappeared. His eyes drifted towards a braid where blonde strands peeked out from the surrounding dark locks. He reached out and held the plait in his hand, running his thumb along the grooves.

“Finn.” She breathed out and took a step back, the hair ripping from his grasp as the knife clattered to the ground. 

He stepped closer to her and reached up to cup her face between his hands. He smiled as she relaxed into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed. He lightly moved his thumbs underneath her eyes, smearing the black substance from her cheeks. She opened her eyes and his smile grew upon seeing the return of the familiar lively flame. “Hey, Blue Eyes.” He whispered.

Something seemed to snap inside her and her hands shot up to tangle in his hair and pull his face down to hers. He chuckled at the pull of the strands but the sound was muffled as their lips met in a kiss and he pulled her closer.

_ Finn. Collins. Spacewalker.  _ **_Finn._ ** _ Her hand drifted to rest on his chest and she felt his heart beat into her palm. His pulse drummed along her fingertips at the base of his neck. Quick bursts of breath fanned across her cheeks as he broke away for air. Here. His lips against hers.  _ **_Alive._ **

He felt small drops of water trail down his hand and she immediately pulled away to bury her face in his neck, pressing feather-light kisses along his throat. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her as close as he could.

“I thought you were dead.” She mumbled, almost too light for him to hear.

“At least one of us didn't give up.” He teased and smiled into her hair when he felt a light smack against his chest. He heard a faint sniffle and dropped his hands to her hips to gently pull her back. “I’m here now, okay? I’m alive. You’re alive. Everything’s gonna be f-” He pulled his hand from her waist and looked down to see his hand dyed red. “You’re hurt.” He croaked out as she looked down to her hip.

“Fuck. The damn thing opened.” She muttered and lifted the hem of her shirt to look at her wound.

Finn stepped away from her, eyes wide with horror, and shook his head. “Not again. Please. Not again.”

Orion looked up at him and her eyebrows knit together. She took in his panicked expression and understanding washed over her face. “Finn.” He took a step back. “Hey.” Her voice softened, and she gently grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest above her heart. “Do hallucinations have heartbeats?”

“If the one having it wants it to.”

The girl rolled her eyes and softly smacked his arm. “Hey smartass, what will it take for you to believe me?”

Finn let out a shaky laugh and rested his forehead against hers. “A kiss?”

Ry chuckled, the motion causing their noses to bump against each other. “Always tryna cop a feel, eh, Collins?” She leaned up and lightly pecked his lips. He breathed out a light laugh but he stilled when he noticed something was still off about the girl: her smile was too controlled, like it was foreign to her, and her eyes held a certain hardness he couldn't identify. 

His hand deftly slid up from her heart to rest around her neck, silencing the laughter in her throat. He glanced up and found wide blue disks staring him down as her lip trembled ever so slightly. 

“Are you afraid of me?” 

He felt her throat contract as she swallowed and she shook her head slowly. “I trust you.”

He huffed. “You didn't answer the question.”

“It's the best I could give you.” Her voice and eyes both held sincerity, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her hand twitching and he knew she was yearning to tear his grip from her windpipe.

He released his hold on her skin to trace along a black cord around her neck. He lightly tugged the chain out from under her cloak to see the blue star charm sparkle in the sunlight. He squeezed the stone in his fist, feeling the edges dig into his palm, and pressed his forehead to hers. “I'm sorry.” 

“I understand.” He glanced up at the gentleness of her tone and was met with blue eyes full of compassion where he expected judgement, the eyes he’d fallen in love with. He carefully leaned forward and connected their lips once again. He kissed her soft and slow, trying to refamiliarize himself with the feel of her lips and the sense of calm only she could bring. He felt her hands pull at his shirt as she urged him closer and he chuckled at the thought that she needed him near as much as he did. His hands tangled in her dark braids and he swallowed her light laughter as he tugged gently. 

He nipped at her bottom lip as she pulled away, gasping for air. A smirk tugged at his mouth as he toyed with the braid. “Looks like I took your breath away after all.” He husked and her eyes went wide.

Her jaw fell open and she struggled against a smile. “You're awful.” She hissed and moved to back away but he maintained a firm grip, keeping her flush against him. 

“But you love me.”

_ She bit her lip and her face paled. Before she could even consider uttering those unspeakable words, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She wrenched herself from Finn’s grasp and whirled around him, taking up a protective stance just as Artigas’ blade halted in front of her throat.  _

_ He staggered back a step, a stunned expression on his face. She felt Finn shift behind her and then his hand landed on her elbow, urging her back behind him. She gave a firm shake of her head, determined to stay rooted to the spot, and the force subsided but his touch did not disappear. Orion turned back to the warrior-in-training who still seemed to be processing the situation. _

_ “Heda…” His eyes darted to the sky boy behind her before he cleared his throat and continued in Trigedasleng. “You protect the enemy?” _

_ “I protect my people.” _

_ “He attacked us! Set fire to our food! Held us in a pen like animals!” _

_ “I know, and  _ I _ shall decide his punishment.” Her eyes flashed fiercely. “Now put down your weapon.” _

_ He nodded and complied before backing away toward the other villagers. _

Finn’s jaw fell open and Orion flashed him that familiar grin, but he noticed his Mystery Girl held herself in a stricter posture and her eyes had regained the hard glint from before. 

“Since when can you speak grounder? And why do they listen to you?” He whispered. With that mind-bending smile, she shook her head: a refusal to answer. Finn suddenly felt like he was back at the dropship landing, when she was just a pretty girl whose blonde streak and unknown identity intrigued him. Now this new, hardened Ry studied him carefully for a few moments, her eyes flitting between him and the hostages as her mind whirled, before she grabbed his hand and led him over to the fence. 

She placed their connected hands on a particularly loose board and turned to him. “Say: ‘Ai break au yo. Biyo moba. Beja wigod op ai.’”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“‘I release you. I apologize. Please forgive me.’”

“And you think that's a good idea? They have every right to want to kill me.”

A grin broke through her blank mask. “Trust me.”

He nodded before repeating the strange words and Orion motioned for him to get a better grip on the wood before they pulled it from the ground together. She tossed the plank to the side and brushed her hands on her clothes before addressing the crowd in their language. 

The grounders solemnly nodded and warily stood to their feet. Finn backed up a pace and the girl let out a light chuckle as she once again connected their hands and led him to a hut. 

With a bewildered expression, Finn leaned down to whisper his question in her ear but she answered before the words left his lips. “‘Return to your duties, but leave the fence. I will meet with the Sky People and return after deciding their punishment. I want no interruptions.’” They reached the shack and she turned on her heel. A sharp whistle split the air. “Murphy!” The sky boy looked over and she nodded her head behind her. He rolled his eyes with a sigh and trudged towards them. “Nice to see you, too, John.” He grunted as he passed through the door and Ry nudged Finn inside before closing the door behind them.

Murphy flopped down on a chair and Finn immediately turned toward the girl. “What the hell is going on?”

She shook her head. “Later. It's a long story and I'm still not sure I understand everything completely. What's more important is why you're here.”

“It's a long story.” Murphy taunted from his spot, earning a sarcastic smile from the blonde-streaked girl. 

She turned expectantly to Finn, who stared over her shoulder as he answered. “We found a grounder who told us you and a few others were being held here and tortured.”

“Well, it’s just me here and, aside from a few bumps and bruises, I’m fine.” She furrowed her brow. “Who was this?”

He shook his head, trying his best to avoid the truth. “I don't know. He only had one eye.”

Her eyes widened and she nodded. “I know him. I banished him a few days ago. He probably lied to get some kind of revenge.”

“Banish?” He felt his heart stop.

She held up her wrist and tapped at the pale skin tinged purple with a bruise. “He wasn't too happy about my space origins and stole my bracelet. But, if the Ark taught me anything, it's that no one deserves to die for a crime, especially not a petty thief, so, yes, banished.” Finn swallowed and dropped his hand to his pocket, gripping the metal band tightly in his fist. A snort from Murphy caught their attention but Ry simply brushed him off with a raised eyebrow. “What else did he say?”

Finn swallowed and shook his head. “Nope. He ran off before we could ask anything else.”

Murphy cackled and the girl turned to him with an irritated expression. “Is there something you would like to add?”

“No, Your Highness, nothing at all.” He smirked before turning his attention to a spot in the room.

The brunette shook her head and leaned back against the wooden door. “So, after that, you came here to look for imaginary hostages and then what? Things got out of hand?”

“I thought you were dead.” Finn mumbled and stared at the ground before meeting her eyes. “I let my emotions take over, but I never wanted to hurt anybody.”

“Coulda fooled me.” Murphy huffed under his breath, earning a glare from Finn and a barely noticeable nod of agreement from the girl.

Orion turned her piercing stare back on the long-haired boy. He could tell she was analyzing him, calculating the next move. “And that's all?” He nodded and she pushed off the wall to pace around the room. “Now, I just have to figure out how to ‘punish’ you without lasting damage.”

“Kinky.” Murphy muttered as he picked at the material of the chair. 

Orion ignored him and continued her trek across the floor. The sounds of the village returning to everyday life floated into the room and she suddenly halted. She pulled at her hair lightly and sighed. “They’re not going to like it, but banishment’s our best option. After you take down that wall, all you have to do is leave and then no one has to get hurt.”

“That sounds reasonable. Now I remember why I didn't like you.” Murphy rolled to his feet and grinned at the girl. “Oh, right, no offense.”

Her mouth curled into a grin and she shook her head. “Well it's hard to forget why I don't like you, John.” 

“Because I'm devilishly handsome and just so damn hard to resist.”

“You're devilishly something alright. Now, time to get you two out of here.”

Finn started and gaped at the girl. “What? Me too?”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before glancing in his direction, careful to avoid his eyes and maintain her authoritative tone. “You caused more harm than he did. Why wouldn't the punishment apply to you?”

“Then you're coming with us, right?” At the girl’s silence, he clenched his jaw and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why not?”

She sighed and shook her head. “It sounds crazy but they think I'm the reincarnation of Heda, this legendary war hero and their first leader. They’re not going to let me go that easily.”

“You’re the most stubborn girl I know. No one  _ lets _ you do anything.”

“Then let me rephrase: if I leave they might assume I was kidnapped and come kill all of you. Sound familiar?” He lowered his eyes at her harsh tone. “I’m too  _ stubborn  _ to let that happen.” He stayed silent, shame casting his eyes to the ground. She sighed and dragged her hands over her face. This time when she spoke, she took care to maintain a gentler tone. “Finn, I can fix this. I can fix everything. They listen to me. They trust me.” He smiled at the small spark of hope brightening her dark irises. “I can  _ finally _ bring peace.”

“Boring.” Murphy chimes from his spot and the two cast him a quick glance before focusing back on each other.

Finn sighed and tugged at his dark locks, almost missing the small grin on Orion’s face from the action. “Then why can’t I stay?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Really? You just attacked these people and you have to ask?”

“No.” He shook his head after a moment. “If you’re here, I’m not leaving.”

She raised her eyes to meet his and he stared into the blue flames. “Finn, I'm trying to save you from the wrath of a hundred pissed grounders. Why-”

“I can't lose you again!” He shouted. She opened her mouth to argue but he cut her off. “I  _ will not _ lose you again.”

She bit her lip, her resolve faltering, before turning to Murphy with a sigh. “Would you mind waiting outside?”

“With the murderous grounders? Hell yeah.” The delinquent answered before rushing to the door. Orion yelled something the boys couldn't understand to a ‘Kylo’ and a blonde girl ran up to the door. The two spoke quietly before the blonde nodded and gestured for Murphy to follow her.

When the door closed, Ry turned back to the fuming Finn and carefully walked toward him. “You can't stay here.”

“Stop that. I know you better than anyone. You can't hide behind that ‘Heda’ act. Not with me.” He stared her down, his expression as cold as hers.

She lowered her face to the ground and he watched her demeanor change: her shoulders slumped, her hands fell loosely at her side, and she swayed slightly on her feet. She looked back up at him with a look of exhaustion that made her seem older. She sighed and pressed her palms into her eyes. “Please, Finn, don't fight me on this.”

“I refuse to leave you after I just found you.”

“I don't want you to leave either, but they’ll kill you.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I can't protect you every second. When they have the chance, they’ll kill you. You’ve pissed them off too much. It's safer if you go home.”

His face softened and he carefully removed her hands from her face before lacing their fingers together. “And what if  _ you _ are home?”

“Then you're cheesier than I thought.” A light laugh left her throat before she squeezed her eyes shut. “You need to go home.”

“I am.”

She shook her head and scoffed. “I'm not home, Finn. I'm darkness and destruction and death.”

“Well aren't you dramatic.” He leaned down to place a light kiss on her nose. “And I have to disagree. You're the sun.”

“I'm really hot? And full of gas? And it's painful to look at me?” 

A grin tugged at the corner of her lips and he snorted as he placed a kiss there. “Very hot, but you’re more than that. You're warmth and light and without you I might as well be dead.”

Her eyes opened at that and she stared at him in concern. “What happened before you came here?”

He shook his head. “Don't change the subject.” She stared at him, silently insisting. “It’s not important, Ry.”

“It is to me.”

“And I’ll tell you later, but right now we’re in the middle of an argument.” 

“Hardly.” He grinned as she rolled her eyes. “So your home is on the sun? That seems like an awful decision.”

“It has its perks. Like there’s this beautiful girl who’s a pain in the ass but she’s a great kisser so it’s worth it.”

She smiled and lifted up on the tips of her toes to kiss him lightly. She pulled back slightly and whispered against his lips. “It's not safe here for you.”

He leaned forward to connect them in a kiss. “Give it up, Blue Eyes. There's nothing you can say that will convince me to leave the girl I love.”

She scrunched her nose. “You and that word.”

His face fell slightly, but his voice still held a teasing tone. “It's almost as good as you and ‘friends’.”

She pressed her forehead against his. “I won't forgive myself if you get hurt.”

“It’ll hurt worse if I leave.”

“But you’ll be safe.”

“For how long? And how would you know?” She shook her head. “Let me stay. I know you can think of something, Miss Apogee.”

She snorted. “That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.” He lifted her chin so their eyes locked and she sighed at his pleading stare. “Fine, but if I think you're in danger you leave.”

“Not a chance.”

“You're impossible.”

“So are you, but that's part of the reason I love you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “That’s not fair.”

“You could always just say it back.” He whispered, the light-heartedness gone.

Orion bit her lip before placing a quick kiss on his lips and leading him towards the door. “Come on, I have to announce my idiotic decision.” 

With a slight shake of his head, Finn chuckled and followed her out into the sunlight.


End file.
